Gastrointestinal helminths infection in laboratory mice and rats from a breeding and maintenance facility

Nikpay, Ali; Asadi Larijani, Aram

doi:10.22034/cjvs.2025.546619.1048

Gastrointestinal helminths infection in laboratory mice and rats from a breeding and maintenance facility

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ali Nikpay ¹

Aram Asadi Larijani ²

¹ Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran.

² Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran.

10.22034/cjvs.2025.546619.1048

Abstract

Laboratory animals play a critical role in biomedical research, and parasitic infections may compromise both animal welfare and the reliability of experimental outcomes.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in Syrian mice (Mus musculus) and rats (Rattus norvegicus) maintained at a laboratory animal breeding and maintenance facility. Fecal samples were collected from 20 Syrian mice and 8 rats housed at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol. Samples were examined microscopically for the presence of helminth eggs and larvae. All examined animals (100%) were infected with at least one gastrointestinal helminth species. The most frequently identified parasites in Syrian mice were Aspiculuris tetraptera, Syphacia obvelata, and Hymenolepis nana. In rats, H. nana was the most common, followed by A. tetraptera, S. obvelata, and Syphacia muris. The high prevalence of helminth infections highlights the need for routine parasitological screening in laboratory animal facilities. Implementing strict hygiene practices, regular monitoring, and preventive treatment protocols is recommended to safeguard both personnel health and research validity.

Keywords

Gastrointestinal helminths

Laboratory animals

Rats

Syrian mice

Subjects