Paramasvaran Sithambaram

Ecto and Endo Parasites of Malaysian Rodents: Human and Veterinary Public Health Implications Paramasvaran Sithambaram

Rodents are the most widely distributed and largest groups of small mammals worldwide. They have been implicated to transmit zoonotic diseases which have played havoc in human society in the past. Today rodents still remains a threat to human and animal health. The current changes in the global climate may alter the ecology of the rodents which enable new rodents foci to be formed and rodent-borne zoonotic vectors to proliferate. This study reports the findings of rodents trapped in four distinct habitats in Peninsula Malaysia and the prevalence and distribution of their ecto and endoparasites. The zoonotic implications of the findings is also discussed with color pictures of some of the rodent parasites isolated. An overview of the biology and descriptions of the rodents examined is also included. This report provides valuable information for ecological parasitologists, biologists, researchers and students on the ecto and endoparasites of rodents in tropical Malaysia.