R. rattus and R. norvegicus, as reservoirs of zoonotic endoparasites in Ecuador

Objective. The present study was to identify gastro-intestinal endoparasitic helminths in wild rats. Materials and methods. a parasitological study was carried out to know the helminth-fauna in different urban and rural areas in five provinces of the Republic of Ecuador, during 2014-2017. The rodents were captured and transported to the National Parasitology Reference Center of the National Institute of Public Health Research - Guayaquil, for further analysis. Results. 125/211 (59.2%) rats with endoparasites were found, 13/20 (65%) for R. rattus and 112/191 (58.6%) R. norvegicus. The most prevalent nematode: was Nippostrongylus brasiliensis for both species and Heterakis spumosa; followed by the cestodes: Hymenolepis diminuta, H. nana, Moniliformis moniliformis and Cysticercus fasciolaris. Conclusions. The presence of four species of zoonotic cestodes in the sampled rodents that live near human communities, represent a potential risk of infection for the inhabitants. Therefore, the control of the population of rodents in residential areas and the awareness of the local population about the risk of disease transmission through rodents seems to be totally necessary.