This study identified the endoparasites in Brown rat (
Rattus norvegicus)
during May to July 2017 in Grenada, West Indies. A total of 162 rats, 76 females and 86 males were trapped from St. George and St. David parishes in Grenada. The collected fecal samples were examined for parasitic eggs and/or oocysts using simple fecal flotation technique. Adult parasites found in the intestinal tract were examined for identification. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites among rats was 79 %.
Ten helminth species were recovered, several of which were reported for the first time in rodents in Grenada. The internal parasites consist of seven nematodes (
Angiostrongylus
spp.,
Nippostrongylus braziliensis
,
Heterakis spumosa
,
Strongyloides ratti
,
Aspiculuris tetraptera
,
Syphacia
spp. and
Protospirura
spp.), one cestode (
Hymenolepsis diminuta
), one acanthocephalan (
Moniliformis moniliformis
) and one protozoa species (
Eimeria
spp.). The most prevalent zoonotic species were
Angiostrongylus
spp. (35.2%),
Hymenolepsis diminuta
(7.4%) and
Moniliformis moniliformis
(3.1%). Several nonzoonotic endoparasites; which included
Nippostrongylus braziliensis
(50.6%),
Heterakis spumosa
(15.4%),
Strongyloides ratti
(43.2%),
Aspiculuris tetraptera
(2.5%),
Syphacia
spp
.
(1.9%),
Protospirura
spp. (1.2%) and
Eimeria
spp. (4.7%) were also identified. The most prevalent parasites were
Nippostrongylus brasiliensis
(50.6%),
Strongyloides ratti
(43.2%) and
Angiostrongylus spp.
(35.2%). Co-infections occurred with up to six species per rat showing different combinations of parasitic infections.