A Survey on the Prevalence of Zoonotic Helminthic Parasites in the Rats of Tabriz, Iran, Emphasizing the Importance of the Parasitic Fauna of Rats in the Public Health

Introduction: Parasitic diseases transmitted by rodents are more important among zoonotic diseases. On the one hand, rodents are the reservoirs of various parasites, including external parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites, and some types of internal parasites such as cestodes and nematodes. On the other hand, they have a wide distribution and close relationship with humans which is important from the point of view of environmental health. Methods: A total of 100 rats were caught from different parts of Tabriz in Iran. The trapped rodents were examined for species determination. Then, rats were anesthetized using chloroform and necropsied after recording the profile ensuring that this operation is carefully started from under the skin and all parts are examined to find possible fillers. Next, the abdominal and diaphragm muscles were evaluated for trichinosis, and finally, the entire gastrointestinal tract was separated and split along the length and in separate plates. They were placed together with the physiological serum and examined using a stereo microscope and a microscope. Eventually, smears were taken from the liver and spleen, and the esophagus was investigated for Gongylonema. Results: In this study, out of 100 collected rats, 68 (68%) cases were infected with at least one worm, while 32 (32%) of them were uninfected. The collected rodents were infected with Trichuris muris (9%), Syphacia obvelata (2%), Strongyloides ratti (41%), Gongylonema (1%), Physaloptera (8%), and Nippostrongylus (3%). Hymenolepis nana (18%) and Hymenolepis diminuta (62%), as well as Cysticercus fasciolaris (7%) and Moniliformis moniliformis (2%) were also detected in these collected rodents. Conclusion: The results of our study indicated the presence of Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis diminuta, Cysticercus fasciolaris, Moniliformis moniliformis, and Physaloptera as zoonotic worm parasites that have a history of infection in humans based on the findings of parasitological studies worldwide.