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14 May 2020 Zoonotic Gastrointestinal Helminths in Rodent Communities in Southern Guatemala
Wendy C. Hernández, David Morán, Federico Villatoro, Manuel Rodríguez, Danilo Álvarez
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Rodents are reservoirs and hosts of several pathogens around the world, including zoonotic parasite species. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of zoonotic gastrointestinal helminths in rodents captured inside households in a rural community from southern Guatemala. Sixty-nine rodents were captured in 33% (49/148) of the surveyed households, including Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, and Sigmodon hispidus. Thirty-six percent (25/69) of these rodents (3 Rattus and 22 Mus musculus), from 45% (22/49) of the households, were parasitized with at least 1 gastrointestinal helminth species. Helminths from 6 species were identified: Hymenolepis diminuta, Moniliformis moniliformis, Heterakis spumosa, Nippostrongylus sp., Strongyloides sp., and Syphacia sp. Two zoonotic species were found in Rattus, H. diminuta in R. rattus (1/6), and M. moniliformis in R. norvegicus (1/1). Coinfection with other non-zoonotic helminth parasites, such as He. spumosa and Strongyloides sp., also was observed in the Rattus genus. Mus musculus had only non-zoonotic helminths: He. spumosa, Nippostrongylus sp., and Syphacia sp. being the most common, and He. spumosa (96%) followed by Nippostrongylus sp. (48%), with a higher presence in males than females, with a similar proportion in adult and young individuals. This is the first report of zoonotic and non-zoonotic helminths parasites in rodents from Guatemala.

© American Society of Parasitologists 2020
Wendy C. Hernández, David Morán, Federico Villatoro, Manuel Rodríguez, and Danilo Álvarez "Zoonotic Gastrointestinal Helminths in Rodent Communities in Southern Guatemala," Journal of Parasitology 106(3), 341-345, (14 May 2020). https://doi.org/10.1645/19-107
Published: 14 May 2020
KEYWORDS
Hymenolepis diminuta
Moniliformis moniliformis
Mus
public health
Rattus
zoonoses
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