Gastrointestinal Parasites of Wild Rodents Trapped in Agricultural Farms in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria

Wild rodents serve as important reservoir hosts for numerous zoonotic parasites, posing infection risks to rural farmers through contaminated food supplies and shared environments. This study documented the gastrointestinal parasitic fauna of wild rodents trapped in agricultural farms across three local government areas in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria. A total of 120 rodents, predominantly Rattus rattus and Mastomys natalensis, were captured using snap traps over a two-month period. Gastrointestinal tracts were carefully dissected and contents examined using gross inspection and parasitological washing techniques. Helminths were identified by morphological characteristics under a stereomicroscope. An overall parasitic prevalence of 83.3 percent was recorded. Nippostrongylus species, Syphacia species, and Hymenolepis species were among the most prevalent taxa. One sample tested positive for Trichinella spiralis larvae in the diaphragm muscle, raising concern for trichinellosis risk among farm workers consuming improperly cooked bushmeat. The study recommends surveillance of rodent-borne zoonotic parasites in agricultural settings and promotion of rodent control as part of food safety programmes in Southeast Nigeria. Keywords: gastrointestinal parasites, wild rodents, zoonotic parasites, Ebonyi State, agricultural farms.