Wild rats are known as a major reservoir and intermediate host for several pathogenic microbial species. Thus, theVeterinary Research Institute (VRI) conducted a survey to determine the presence of parasitic pathogens in local rats, such as blood protozoans, gastrointestinal parasites, as well as ectoparasites such as mites and lice. The study was conducted with the collaboration of Kuala Lumpur City Council Pest Control Unit, whereby a total of 105 wild rats were trapped at two urban areas of Kuala Lumpur; namely PasarPudu and Chow Kit. Autopsy was done on the rats to acquire the skin, organ and blood samples..The skin scrapping was performed on skin samples to identify the common species of mites and lice, while the floatationtechnique was conducted on faecal samples to identify helminth eggs. Results showed thatspecies of Tritrichomonas, Strongyloides, Nippostrongylus, Blastocystis, Rodentolepis, Coccidia, Trichuris, Capillaria and Ascarid were found in the faeces while Trypanosoma sp.was found in the blood samples taken from the animals. Taeniataeniformis was obtained from liver samples while theectoparasites found on skin were identified as Radfordia,Polyplax,Linognathus and Hoploplurasp. Control and eradication of rodent pests is crucial in combating emerging and re-emerging diseases which may be zoonotic as rodents are reservoirs to various pathogens.

In rats infected with the cestode Taenia taeniaeformis, hepatomegaly results from development of parasitic cysts in the liver. Diffuse nodular mucosal hyperplasia in the glandular region (corpus and antrum) of the stomach, and gross thickening of the intestinal mucosa also result. Between postinfection days (PID) 21 and 84, radiologic observations were made after oral administration of a barium sulfate suspension in T taeniaeformis-infected rats and in age/sex-matched controls. There was radiographic evidence of hepatic enlargement at PID 21. Enlargement of the gastric folds was first observed along the greater curvature of the stomach at PID 35. Fimbriation of small intestinal mucosal surfaces resulted from thickening of the intestinal villi and was observed in the duodenum at PID 21. Intestinal motility was assessed, and contractions were counted, using image intensification fluoroscopy, then were recorded on videotape. There were no significant differences between control and infected rats for gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and number of intestinal contractions per minute. Barium contrast radiography clearly indicated large gastric folds, thickening of the small intestinal villi, and hepatic enlargement, and was useful for assessing gastrointestinal motility.

An ammonium sulfate-soluble fraction of Taenia hydatigena cyst fluid (ThFAS) was further evaluated for use in the immunodiagnosis of cysticercosis. Analysis of ThFAS by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and protein immunoblot analysis confirmed earlier reports of a highly specific, low molecular weight antigen in this preparation; in contrast, other components of ThFAS were shown to react nonspecifically. Antibodies against the < 12-kD diagnostic antigen were detected in sera from 10 cattle and 4 swine inoculated with metacestodes of T saginata and T solium, respectively, but not in animals inoculated with Fasciola hepatica, Trichinella spiralis, Brucella abortus, or Toxoplasma gondii, or in noninoculated controls. Isolation and immobilization of the < 12-kD antigen on a hydrophobic transfer membrane resulted in development of an unambiguous dipstick assay capable of correctly identifying fully developed (10-week) experimentally induced infections in cattle and swine. In addition, the dipstick assay was highly specific for diagnosis of the disease in human beings, and offers the potential of distinguishing between human clinical cases of cysticercosis and taeniasis. A similar reactive antigen of diagnostic potential was also identified and isolated from T crassiceps and T taeniaeformis cyst fluids.

Taenia taeniaeformis, cats (exper.), parasite longevity and productivity

The effects of intraperitoneal implantation of Taenia taeniaeformis larvae and inoculation of in vitro larval products on gastric mucosa of SCID mice were investigated in this study. Mice surgically implanted with T, taeniaeformis larvae developed slight and moderate gastric hyperplasia. When in vitro cultured T. taeniaeformis larval excretory-secretory (TtLES) products containing 1 mg of protein were injected daily into mice, they caused gastropathy after 5-7 days. Mice injected daily with 0.5 mg of TtLES products also showed slight gastric hyperplasia after day 14 and 28. The gastropathy was characterized by reduction of both parietal and zymogenic cell number and increased number of alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS)-positive cells and by two-fold extension of proliferative zone of gastric units. Larval implantation demonstrated a more potent effect in inducing gastropathy than did in vitro larval culture products. Significant decrease in number of parietal cells with con-comitant increase of tive zone and AB-PAS-positive cell number indicated their important roles in inducing the hyperplastic lesion. Similarities with other gastropathies indicated that there is a common fundamental regulatory mechanism involved, and that the host response may not be specific to parasites. Present study validated the induction of gastric mucosal hyperplasia by larval ES products of T. taeniaeformis. This proved the hypothesis of previous studies suggesting the role of larvae-derived products in inducing gastric mucosal hyperplasia in T. taeniaeformis-infected rats.