Parasites and Parasite Eggs Detected in Laboratory Mice in Bursa

A mouse infected with parasites is not a suitable model for use in experiments, and therefore, it is necessary to know whether it is infected. In this study, the aim is to investigate the endo and exoparasites in BALB/c laboratory mice.

In this study, the presence of parasites in 250 mice obtained from Bursa Uludağ University Experimental Animal Centre was investigated by faecal flotation and cellophane tape methods. In addition, helminths recovered during necropsy of selected mice were examined to confirm species identification.

According to the results of the research, ectoparasites found in mice were mites such as Otodectes cynotis, Myobia musculi and Myocoptes musculinus, and endoparasites were nematodes of the species Syphacia obvelata, Syphacia muris and Aspiculuris tetraptera. In addition to adults of these species, many unidentified parasite eggs were also found. An Aspicularis tetraptera nematode exhibiting an unusual cervical alae structure not previously described in the literature was detected.

Although helminths from the Strongylidae and Heligmosomidae families were not found in the necropsy, helminth eggs belonging to this family were found in the fecal flotation. This study has presented different parasites detected in laboratory mice and original images were presented for some samples with unusual morphological structures.