@article {95098,
	title = {Parasites of the Nile rat in rural and urban regions of Sudan},
	journal = {Integrative Zoology},
	volume = {4},
	year = {2009},
	month = {06-2009},
	pages = {179 - 187},
	type = {Special Issue: Wildlife research in the developing world},
	abstract = {<p>In this investigation on endoparasites (helminths) and ectoparasites of the Nile rat Arvicanthis niloticus Desmarest,1822, a total of 220 Nile rats were trapped from different regions of Sudan during the period January 2003\&ndash;January2006. Examination of different tissues, identification of parasites, effect of these parasites on the organs, the preva-lence and intensity of infestation of the parasites and their relation to the habitat of the host, and sex-relatedinfestations were considered. Results showed that the variation among helminth species was wide, especially inthose that are transferred by arthropods. No protozoan parasites or distortion in the infected tissues were observed.No examination for Toxoplasma gondii was carried out. Two species of cestodes (Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepisdiminuta), two genera (Raillietina sp. I, Raillietina sp. II) and one unidentified Hymenolepididae were reported.The most prevalent species of cestodes was Raillietina sp. And for nematodes only one species and one genuswere recovered (Monanema nilotica and Streptopharagus sp.). Investigation of skin revealed that 83.8\% of ratswere infested with one or more of ectoparasites; namely, insects and arachnids. This survey also revealed that fleasand lice were the most common ectoparasites that infested the Nile rat. Synanthropic rodents, particularly thoseliving in close association with man, play a significant role in human health, welfare and economy. It has to bestressed that their arthropod ectoparasites are important vectors of pathogenic microorganisms and they can alsobe important reservoirs for parasitic zoonoses, like trichinellosis and capillariosis. No doubt, the increase in rodentpopulations could be followed by an increase in zoonotic diseases (Stojcevic et al. 2004, Durden et al. 2000). Ratsand mice (commensal and wild) play an important role in public health, being carriers or reservoirs for infectiousdiseases that can be transmitted to humans (zoonoses). Xenopsylla cheopis is the most important vector of plagueand the rickettsial infection murine typhus (Gratz 1999).Man can also acquire the infection through direct contactwith infected animals\&rsquo; tissues (WHO 1987). Arvicanthis niloticus, Mastomys natalensis and Rattus rattus areprobably the most important and widespread reservoirs of plague in Kenya: 10 percent of all Rattus rattus testedwere found to be positive as compared to 12\% of the Arvicanthis niloticus (Gratz 1999)</p>
},
	keywords = {fleas, lice, mites, Nile rat, Sudan, ticks},
	doi = {10.1111/j.1749-4877.2009.00148.x},
	url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/j.1749-4877.2009.00148.x},
	author = {Dina M. Fagir and El-Amin El-Rayah}
}
