[Parasitic infections among wild rats from two areas of Kaohsiung]

Wild rats including four strains were captured for examination of parasitic infections. The numbers were 101 from areas of Kaohsiung harbor and 98 from areas of Kaohsiung airport. Most of the examined wild rats were Rattus norvegicus and second most were Suncus murinus. The infection rates of intestinal helminths in rats of both areas did not display any significant difference. The overall infection rate was 29.6%. The infection rate was highest in R. norvegicus and the most frequently found parasite in rats was Hymenolepis diminuta. Moniliformis moniliformis and Angiostrongylus cantonensis were revealed in two separated R. norvegicus rats. The infection rates of intestinal helminths in R. norvegicus were significantly correlated with the size of rats. There was no find in microscopic observation of blood smear from these rats stained with Giemsa's dye.