Mice and Rats

Question 1

Nippostrongylus brasilensis

Answer 1

Host: Rats and mice
Site: Small intestine
Superfamily: Trichostrongyloidea
Unique features: Common in wild rats and challenging to control in colony settings
Treatment: Piperazine 5g/L in water and injectable ivermectin

Question 2

Nematospiroides dubius

aka Heligmosomoides polygyrus

Answer 2

Host: Rats and mice
Site: Small intestine
Superfamily: Trichostrongyloidea
Unique features: long red worms with a coiled tail
Treatment: Piperazine 5g/L in water and injectable ivermectin

Question 3

Hymenoleptis nana

Answer 3

Common name: Dwarf tapeworm
Host: Rats, mice, bird, people, primates
Site: Small intestine
Family: Hymenolepididae
IH: flour beetle or fleas
Unique features: scolex has 4 suckers, armed, with single row of 20-30 hooks. Autoinfection occurs in people and does not need an IH.

Question 4

Hymenoleptis diminuta

Answer 4

Common name: Dwarf tapeworm
Host: Rats, mice, bird, people, primates
Site: Small intestine
Family: Hymenolepididae
IH: flour beetle or fleas
Unique features: scolex has 4 suckers, unarmed

Question 5

Eimeria nieschelzi

Answer 5

Host: Rats
Site: Small intestine
Worldwide
Unique features: primarily affects young animals
Treatment: None

Question 6

Eimeria falciformis

Answer 6

Host: Mice
Site: Small intestine
Worldwide
Unique features: variable pathogenicity; catarrhal enteritis
Treatment: None

Question 7

Spironucleus muris

Answer 7

Family: Hexamitidae
Host: Mouse, rat, hamster
Site: Small intestine, cecum
Worldwide
Unique features: enteritis and diarrhea in lab animals in acute infections. Chronic does not have diarrhea, but weight loss and listlessness
Treatment: None

Question 7

Cryptosporidium muris

Answer 7

Apicomplexian
Host: Rodents; camels, mountain goats, human and monkeys
Site: Small intestine
Worldwide
Unique features: Asymptomatic in rodents
Treatment: None

Question 8

Syphacia obvelata

Answer 8

Mouse pinworm
Host: mice
Site: Cecum, colon
Superfamily: Oxyuridea
Unique features: Largest egg of the pinworms (118-153 x 33-53 um. Small cervical alae. 3 lips without buccal capsule. Male has long slender spicule
Treatment: None

Question 9

Aspicularis tetraptera

Answer 9

Mouse pinworm
Host: mice, rat
Site: Cecum, colon
Superfamily: Oxyuridea
Unique features: Broad cervical alae, male has conical tail and lacks a spicule and gubernaculum. Eggs passed in feces and not found on perineum
Treatment: None

Question 10

Trichuris muris

Answer 10

Whipworms
Host: Rats, mice
Site: Large intestine
Superfamily: Trichuroidea

Question 11

Eimeria separata

Answer 11

Host: Rats
Site: Large intestine
N. America, Europe, Asia, and Africa

Question 12

Entamoeba muris

Answer 12

Host: Rats, mice, golden hamster
Site: Large intestine
Family: Entamoebidae
Unique features: 8 nuclei when mature

Question 13

Endolimax nana

Answer 13

Host: Humans, apes, pigs, rat
Site: Large intestine
Family: Entamoebidae
Unique features: Non-pathogenic. Have an irregualr endosome with chromatin granules. Conatin 4 nuclei when mature

Question 14

Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Answer 14

Rat lungworm
Superfamily: Metastrongyloidea
Host: Rats, humans
Site: Pulmonary veins
IH: Land snails of the genera Agrolimax, Limax, and Deroceras
Paratenic hosts: Crustaceans and amphibians
Treatment: Mebendazole and albendazole

Question 15

Hepatozoon muris

Answer 15

Host: Rats (IH)
Site: Gamonts in lymphocytes, Meront in the liver
DH: Echinolaelaps echidninus (spiny rat mit)
Unique features: Mite vector causes more pathology than protozoan
Treatment: No treatment

Question 16

Angiostrongylus costaricensis

Answer 16

Superfamily: Metastrongyloidea
Host: Cotton Rats, humans
Site: Mesenteric arteries and arterioles
IH: Land snails and slugs of the genera Vaginulus plebus (main)

Question 17

Trichosomoides crassicauda

Answer 17

Bladder threadworm
Host: Rats
Site: Bladder
Superfamily: Trichuroidea
Unique features: femals are free in the urinary bladder or embedded in teh bladder wall. Male live inside the female

Question 18

Klossiella muris

Answer 18

Apicomplexa, Klossiellidae
Host: mice
Site: Kidney

Question 19

Polyplax spinulosa

Answer 19

Host: Rats, mice
Site: Fur
Suborder: Anopluran
Unique feature: blood sucking and can cause anemia
Treatment: Topical fipronil or imidacloprid, and systemic ivermectin

Question 20

Polyplax serrata

Answer 20

Spined rat louse
Host: Rats, mice
Site: Fur
Suborder: Anopluran
Unique feature: blood sucking and can cause anemia. Ventral thoracic plate in pentagonal. Vector for murine eperythrozoonosis.
Treatment: Topical fipronil or imidacloprid, and systemic ivermectin

Question 21

Ornithonyssus bacoti

Answer 21

Tropical rat mite
Host: Rats, mice, hamster and variety of mammals and birds
Site: Fur
Order: Mesostigmata
Unique feature: Blood sucking (both sexes). Painful bites. Lays eggs on host
Treatment: Systemic ivermectin

Question 22

Myocoptes musculinus

Answer 22

Host: Mice, but also guinea pigs
Site: Fur
Order: Asigmata (Sarcoptiformes)
Unique feature: Not pathogenic. myocoptic mange. Lesion are usually on the head, neck and shoulder blades
Treatment: Systemic ivermectin

Question 23

Leptotrombidium deliense

Answer 23

Scrub typus mite
Host: Ground deweling rodents
Site: Fur
Order: Trombiculidae
Unique feature: Larvae are the blood suckers. Larvae are vectors for Rickettsia tsutsugamushi
Treatment: Systemic ivermectin

Question 24

Myobia musculi

Answer 24

Mouse fur mite Site: Fur Order: Asigmata (Sarcoptiformes) Unique feature: Typically asymptomatic Treatment: Systemic ivermectin

Question 25

Nosopsyllus fasciatus

Answer 25

Northern rat flea Host: Rat, mouse, human Site: Fur & skin Order: Siphonaptera Unique feature: Known vector of Hymenoleptis nana Treatment: Imidacloprid and fipronil

Question 26

Xenopsylla cheopis

Answer 26

Oriental or black rat flea Host: Rat, human, mice, rabbits, ground squirrels Site: skin Order: Siphonaptera Unique feature: Looks similar to *Pulex irritans* but has vertical rod on mesothorax Vector: *Hymenoleptis diminuta*,* H. nana, Yesinia pestis*, and* Rickesttsia typhi* Treatment: Imidacloprid and fipronil

Question 27

Leptopsylla segnis

Answer 27

Mouse flea Host: Rat, mice Order: Siphonaptera Unique feature: Not a vector for disease. Treatment: Imidacloprid and fipronil