PREVALENCE OF INTESTINAL HELMINTHIC INFECTIONS AMONG HOUSEHOLD RATS IN ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

This paper reports the prevalence of intestinal helminthic
infections among 101 Rattus rattus collected in Addis Ababa, from November. 1996 to December, 1997. Examination of faecal samples from each rat by the formol-ether concentration technique revealed that 441101 (43.6%) of the rats were positive for a single intestinal parasite: 311101 (30.7%) for Hymenolepis dimitulla, and' 13/101 (12.9%) for Hymenolepis nana. Double infection was recorded in 71101 (7%). Among the double infection, 3% were infected with H. diminuta and H. nana, and 4 % with H. diminuta and Syphacia obveleta. H. diminuta was the most frequent followed by H. nana. B. obveleta was found only
in association with H. diminuta. The infection rates forcestodes in the present study were compared with the rates reported for cities in other countries. These findings suggest that household rats could be potential sources of human infections in the areas studied