Capillaria hepatica (Bancroft) in select rat populations of Hartford, Connecticut, with possible public health implications.
Capillaria hepatica was found in 82% of 86 Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) trapped in Hartford, Connecticut between February and November 1975. Adults were parasitized more frequently than juveniles and infection rate did not differ between sexes. Rats demonstrated a low intensity of infection, with 9% having extensive liver involvement. A seasonal variation in infection rate may have been a manifestation of environmental factors, cannibalism, and predation.
D000818:Animals; D002195:Capillaria; D003237:Connecticut; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D051381:Rats / Q000469:parasitology*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D014259:Trichuroidea