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Biotic and abiotic effects on the intestinal helminth community of the brown rat Rattus norvegicus from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 September 2014

R.O. Simões ,
J.L. Luque ,
R. Gentile ,
M.C.S. Rosa ,
S. Costa-Neto  and
A. Maldonado Jr
R.O. Simões
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365 Manguinhos, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Curso de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
J.L. Luque
Affiliation:
Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 74508, 23851-970, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
R. Gentile
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365 Manguinhos, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
M.C.S. Rosa
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365 Manguinhos, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
S. Costa-Neto
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365 Manguinhos, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
A. Maldonado Jr*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365 Manguinhos, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
*
*Fax: 55-21-25621253 E-mail: maldonad@ioc.fiocruz.br
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Abstract

Rattus norvegicus has attracted much attention because of its role as a reservoir of zoonotic pathogens. This work aimed to identify the intestinal helminth species in R. norvegicus and to analyse the effects of temperature, rainfall, host age and sex on the helminth community structure. Moreover, this study investigated the possible associations among helminth species in an urban population of R. norvegicus in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, sampled during the rainy and dry seasons over a span of 2 years. A total of 112 rats were infected by six species of helminths. The nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis was the most prevalent and abundant species, with high mean intensity in both seasons, followed by Strongyloides venezuelensis, Heterakis spumosa, Raillietina sp., Hymenolepis nana and Moniliformis moniliformis. Co-occurrence was found between N. brasiliensis and S. venezuelensis and between N. brasiliensis and H. spumosa. The occurrence of S. venezuelensis was related to rainfall. The understanding of the helminth community structure in this synanthropic rat provides basic information on parasites of public health importance, as two helminth species (H. nana and M. moniliformis) recovered from rats in the urban area studied can infect humans.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 90 , Issue 1 , January 2016 , pp. 21 - 27
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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