[Investigation on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in pet hamsters].
One hundred and fifty-three fecal samples of pet hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus, Phodopus sungorus, P. campbelli and P. roborovskii) were collected from a pet-market in Zhengzhou, and examined by Sheather's sugar flotation, modified acid-fast staining and Lugol's iodine-solution staining. The prevalence of parasites was 70.7% (41/58), 96.7% (59/61), 83.9% (26/31), and 100% (3/3) respectively, with an overall prevalence of 84.3%. Eggs, cysts or oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp. (15.0%), Giardia sp. (22.2%), coccidian (2.0%), Hymenolepis nana (31.4%), Hymenolepis diminuta (25.5%), Syphacia spp. (41.8%), Aspiculuris tetraptera (7.2%) and undetermined Trichurata nematode (18.3%) were found from the samples. The results suggest that pet hamsters may be infected and transmit several zoonotic parasites.
Lv
Chao-Chao
CC
College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agriculture University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
Feng
Chao
C
Qi
Meng
M
Yang
Hong-Yu
HY
Jian
Fu-Chun
FC
Ning
Chang-Shen
CS
Zhang
Long-Xian
LX
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000469:parasitology*; D006224:Cricetinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*