helminth infections of house mouse (mus musulus) and wood mouse (apodemus sylvaticus) from the suburban areas of hamadan city, western iran.

background: to determine the prevalence and intensity of helminths and their zoonotic importance in small rodents inhabiting in the suburban areas of hamadan city,iran. methods: the present survey was conducted on the helminth infections of two species of rodents apodemus sylvaticus (n=60) and mus musculus (n=72) in the suburban areas of hamadan city during 2010-2012. rodents were collected and examined for helminth in the different organs. the nematodes were collected in 5% formalin solution and cleared in lactophenol, cestodes and trematodes collected from intestine fixed in afa solution and stained by acetocarmine , cleared in xylol for identification. results: helminths found in a. sylvaticus and m. musculus and their prevalence for the first time in suburban areas of hamadan city were as follows; in a. sylvaticus : cysticercus fasciolaris (3.33%), syphacia fredrici (26.67%), s. stroma (8.33%), anoplocephalidae sp. (1.67%), skrjabinotaenia lobata (5%), plagiorchis muris (1.67%) and in m. musculus : hymenolepis nana (16.67%), h. diminuta (5.55%), s. obvelata (30.56%), s . ohtarom (9.72%), rodentolepis crassa (1.39%), c. fasciolaris (1.39%). among 11 species in two rodents 4 species including s. obvelata , h. nana , h. diminuta, and p. muris have zoonotic importance. statistically the relation between gender and their helminth infections was not significant in either m. musculus or a. sylvaticus ( p >0.05). conclusion: this study reports 11 species of helminths and on the other hand 3species were identified for the first time in iran and 5 species of them have potential health importance for public health and cat.