Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of house rat zoonotic intestinal parasites from Surabaya District, East Java, Indonesia that have the potential to cause opportunistic infection in humans. House rat fecal samples were collected from an area of Surabaya District with a dense rat population during May 2015. Intestinal parasites were detected microscopically using direct smear of feces stained with Lugol’s iodine and modified Ziehl-Neelsen stains. The fecal samples were also cultured for Strongyloides stercoralis. Ninety-eight house rat fecal samples were examined. The potential opportunistic infection parasite densities found in those samples were Strongyloides stercoralis in 53%, Hymenolepis nana in 42%, Cryptosporidium spp in 33%, and Blastocystis spp in 6%. This is the first report of this kind in Surabaya District. Measures need to be taken to control the house rat population in the study area to reduce the risk of the public health problem.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 194-198 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- Densely populated area
- House rat
- Indonesia
- Opportunistic infection
- Zoonotic intestinal parasites
