Copro-microscopic study of gastrointestinal helminth parasites of rodents (Family: Muridae) of Gokarneshwor municipality, Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract

Many parasites that are of medical importance have their definitive host as small mammals and are also zoonotic. Some of these rodent species are peri domestic meaning they are in close contact with humans and the intermediate host that help in the transmission of the disease. A cross sectional study was conducted between July to November 2022 to determine the gastrointestinal helminth parasites and their risks in rodents in Sundarijal, Kathmandu, Nepal. A total of 110 fecal samples were collected from rodents (73 rats, 46 Rattus norvegicus and 27 Rattus rattus and 37 house mice, Mus musculus), and examined using direct wet mount, floatation as well as formal-ether sedimentation techniques. The results showed that the overall prevalence of endoparasites was 29.09% with the following genera: Hymenolepis nana (17.27%), Hymenolepis diminuta (6.36%), Strongyloides stercoralis (4.54%) and Trichiuris spp. (0.9%). The result of the interview revealed that, walking bare foot and playing in open grassland has been identified as the major risk factors for the zoonotic diseases among the people living there. Thus, more studies should be conducted in the rural areas of Gokarneshwor Municipality with changing climate conditions to further explore the parasite diseases in wildlife and their impacts on human health and environment.