Endoparasites of Rattus norvegicus With Reference to Their Zoonotic Importance in an Urban District, East Kuwait

Rattus norvegicus (the brown rat) is adaptable to living in urban settlements across the globe, including Kuwait where this rodent species is widespread in human habitats. It has been known that brown rats are reservoirs of many pathogens, including parasites that can pose a threat to human and animal health. Therefore, it seems paramount to study the frequency and diversity of parasite fauna of brown rats and determine which of them have zoonotic importance in Kuwait. A total of 98 brown rats were trapped from an urban district, eastern Kuwait. Blood, feces, visceral organs, and muscles were examined grossly, microscopically, and immunologically for the detection of endoparasites. The study identified 13 species, including 3 cestodes, 4 nematodes, and 6 protozoa. Trichosomoides crassicauda was the most prevalent parasite (35.7%), followed by Rodentolepis nana (32.7%), Hymenolepis diminuta (23.5%), and Taenia taeniaeformis (23.5%). The least prevalent parasite was Toxoplasma gondii (1.0%), detected in only one rat. The overall prevalence of infection was 88.8% (87/98), with 33.7% positive for one parasite species, and 55.1% of infected rats had mixed infections. The infection rates were statistically insignificantly higher in young rats and females than in adults and males, respectively. The overall prevalence was significantly higher ( p < 0.05) in the wet season than in the dry season. The current study revealed that brown rats harbored 4 parasite species that are of zoonotic importance and 3 potentially zoonotic parasites, and 7 parasite species are reported for the first time in Kuwait.