[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.
College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agriculture University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
Chao-Chao
CC
Lv
Chao
C
Feng
Meng
M
Qi
Hong-Yu
HY
Yang
Fu-Chun
FC
Jian
Chang-Shen
CS
Ning
Long-Xian
LX
Zhang
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000469:parasitology*; D006224:Cricetinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*