Abstract
Forty nine rats (28 Rattus rattus and 21 Rattus norvegicus) were trapped from various locations at Taif governorate, and examined parasitological for defining of enteric parasites and associated pathogenic bacteria. The recovered enteric parasites were Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis dimenuta, Giardia Lamblia cyst, Entamoeba histolytica and Cryptosporidium. The incidence rate recorded for the above mentioned parasites were 20.4, 18.3, 14.2, 10.2 and 6.1%, respectively. A total of 6 potentially pathogenic bacteria were recovered from the trapped rats. These include Salmonella typhimurium, Providencia rettgeri, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneuomoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus faecalis. This present study indicated that the type of enteric parasites and associated pathogenic bacteria in rats varied according to the localities, and furthermore highlighted role of rats as a biological reservoir of enteric parasites and pathogenic bacteria. The study has also provided evidence of efficiency and importance in regard for preventive control procedures which have a good effect upon prevalence of parasitological and bacterial, and furthermore highlighted the infections of human and animals. It was worthy to mention that the parasitic helminthes identified and bacterial strains isolated and accompanied together are recorded for the first time from Taif Governorate rats in KSA as a new host and locality records. The public health significance of each isolated parasite and bacterial species for man and animal as well as the symptoms and pathology of the diseases they cause, will be discussed in details in this paper.