ZOONOTIC POTENTIAL OF PARASITES FOUND IN Rattus spp. (FAMILY: MURIDAE) FECES FROM A RESIDENCE IN THE METROPOLITAN REGION OF BELÉM-PA/BRAZIL

Abstract

Rodents can serve as reservoirs of a variety of zoonotic parasites, and their proximity to humans in domestic environments, especially in metropolitan areas, is a constant public health concern. This study reports the parasitological findings from a fecal sample collected inside a residence in the metropolitan region of Belém, Pará, Brazil. The sample was submitted to the LHEA/UFRA laboratory, where it was analyzed using two techniques, the Direct Method and the Willis-Mollay Method, to detect parasite cysts, oocysts, eggs, and larvae. Among the protozoans found, y cysts of Entamoeba spp. and Giardia sp., as well as Cystoisospora sp. oocysts, were identified. Regarding helminths, eggs of Moniliformes sp. and Gongylonema sp. were identified, along with eggs and larvae of Angiostrongylus sp., which were observed using both techniques. The presence of multiple gastrointestinal parasites in a single sample collected from Rattus spp. in a domestic metropolitan environment not only demonstrates the behavioral proximity of these animals to humans, given that the droppings were found on a bed, but also highlights concerns regarding the occurrence and epidemiological surveillance of these zoonotic parasitic diseases in urban areas where outbreaks of other rat-borne diseases occur, serving as a screening measure.