Resumen de Helminth Fauna of Commensal Rodents, Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Rodentia, Muridae) in Sicily (Italy)
C. Milazzo, M. Cagnin, C. Di Bella, F Geraci, Alexis Ribas
Seventy-three house mice (Mus musculus) and forty black rats (Rattus rattus) from Palermo (Sicily, Italy) were examined for the presence of helminth parasites. The study was carried out in 18 localities during the period March-December 2004. Mus musculus harbored one species of Digenea (Brachylaima sp.), one species of cestode (Taenia taeniaeformis larvae) and eight species of nematode (Syphacia obvelata, Aspiculuris tetraptera, Mastophorus muris, Heterakis spumosa, Trichuris muris, Capillaria hepatica, Heligmosomoides polygyrus and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis). Rattus rattus harbored one species of Digenea (Brachylaima sp.), two species of cestode (Hymenolepis diminuta, Rodentolepis nana), seven species of nematode (Syphacia muris, Aspiculuris tetraptera, Mastophorus muris, Heterakis spumosa, Capillaria hepatica, Eucoleus gastricus and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis) and one unidentified species of acanthocephalan. The overall prevalence of infection of the house mouse (M. musculus) was 61.64% and that of the black rat (R. rattus) was 92.68%.
