Intestinal parasites in rodents from five different Himas in Lebanon.

Abstract

Rodent and their parasites serve as a reliable indicator of ecosystem health, which is critical in determining the structure of ecological communities. Therefore, gaining a thorough comprehension of the diversity of intestinal parasites and the factors infl uencing their interaction is of primary importance. This study assesses the diversity of gastrointestinal parasites in wild rodents in Lebanon. Two thousand fi ve hundred trapping nights were carried out in fi ve Himas in Lebanon during the spring and fall of 2022. A total of 205 rodents, including Apodemus mystacinus, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus hermonensis, Microtus guentheri, Rattus rattus, and Mus musculus, were trapped and examined for intestinal parasites. Nine intestinal parasites were isolated, including one cestode species, Hymenolepis diminuta (11.7 %), and eight nematodes: Ascaris lumbricoides (31.7 %), Trichuris muris (7.8 %), Aspiculuris tetraptera (7.3 %), Heligmosomoides polygyrus (6.8 %), Syphacia muris (3.9 %), Syphacia obvelata (3.4 %), Capillaria spp. (2.4 %), and Physaloptera spp (0.5 %). The species and gender did not infl uence the number of rodents infected with these parasites. However, the season impacted the number of rodents infected with A. lumbricoides, T. muris, and S. muris. Infection of rodents with H. diminuta and A. lumbricoides was infl uenced by the site of trapping. Among the collected parasites, A. lumbricoides, H. diminuta, and Syphacia obvelata are considered zoonotic. This study showed that preserving parasite-host dynamics and biological cycles depends heavily on environmental stability. This project will further advance the understanding of rodent parasites and support future studies on endoparasites in Lebanon and the region.