Table 2.
Prevalence of helminth species of the digestive tract identified, by eggs or larvae, in an urban population of R. norvegicus
| Total (n = 299) |
Rainy season (n = 179) |
Dry season (n = 120) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Species | % (n) | % (n) | % (n) |
| Strongyloides sp.a | 96·6 (289) | 97·8 (175) | 95·0 (114) |
| Nippostrongylus brasiliensisb | 40·8 (122) | 30·2 (54) | 56·7 (68) |
| Angiostrongylus cantonensis | 39·1 (117) | 43·0 (77) | 33·3 (40) |
| Hymenolepis diminuta | 13·4 (40) | 13·4 (24) | 13·3 (16) |
| Trichuridaec | 9·0 (27) | 7·3 (13) | 11·7 (14) |
| Gongylonema neoplasticum | 6·4 (19) | 5·6 (10) | 7·5 (9) |
| Aspiculuris tetraptera | 0·3 (1) | 0·6 (1) | 0·0 (0) |
| Hymenolepis nano | 0·3 (1) | 0·0 (0) | 0·8 (1) |
| Syphacia muris | 0·3 (1) | 0·6 (1) | 0·0 (0) |
| Toxocara sp. | 0·7 (2) | 0·6 (1) | 0·8 (1) |
| Ascaris sp. | 1·7 (5) | 0·0 (0) | 4·2 (5) |
Species potentially pathogenic to humans are shown in bold.
a
S. rotti or S. venezuelensis.
b
Prevalence was significantly higher in the dry season (P < 0·0001).
c
Capillaria gastrica or Trichuris muris.