THE ROLE OF PERI-DOMESTIC RATS AS POTENTIAL RESERVOIR FOR ZOONOTIC PARASITES IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

Rats live around human habitat and they play as reservoirs and spread of many zoonotic parasites, responsible for public health problems. Total 87 (Male=58, Female=29) rats of 4 different species were captured live namely; Rattus norvegicus (24), R. rattus (5), Bandicota bengalensis (25), Mus musculus (33) from Dhaka (27), Bandarban (25), Naogaon (10), Meherpur (10), Thakurgaon (08) and Sylhet (07) districts of Bangladesh. All the rats were trapped alive by using ten (10) wire box bait traps with front spring door. Then, all the captured rats were put into a trolly bag and bought to the laboratory for enlisted the data, ectoparasites collection and dissection of rats for endoparasites collection. The overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 62.08%, in which 63.79% prevalence was found in male rats, and 58.62% was female rats. All the recovered parasites except the species Heterakis spumosa has public health significance. The prevalence of M. monliformis was the highest (21.11%), followed by G. neoplasticum (17.77%), T. taeniformis (12.22%) and H. diminuta (10%) and a single ectoparasite species Xenopsylla cheopis (31.03%). Thirty three out of 54 infected rats (61.11%) had mixed endoparasitic and ectoparasitic infection, and only 21 (38.89%) had single infection. The species Bandicota bengalensis (80%) had the highest infection followed by Rattus norvrgicus (79.17%), R. rattus (60%), Mus musculus (36.36%). In this study, the highest prevalence of parasites (endoparasites and ectoparasite) found of the examined rats in Naogaon were 90% followed by 71.43 % in Sylhet, 70.37% in Dhaka, 60% in Meherpur, 50% in Thakurgaon, 44% in the Bandarban The highest number of infected rats came from the houses in the slum areas, contributing to (75%), followed by local rent houses (72.22%), rice mill godwon (66.67%), stationary shops (62.50%), and paddy fields (33.33) and poultry shed ( 0%). Therefore, proper attention needs to be paid for the prevention of rat borne zoonosis through the control of rats.