%0 Journal Article %T Rattus norvegicus as an indicator of circulation of Capillaria hepatica and Taenia taeniaeformis on a groceries trade center of Medell赤n, Colombia Rattus norvegicus como indicador de la circulaci車n de Capillaria hepatica y Taenia taeniaeformis en la Plaza Minorista de Medell赤n, Colombia %A Biviana Andrea Duque %A Diego Aranzazu %A Piedad Agudelo-Fl車rez %A Andr谷s F. Londoˋo %J Biom谷dica %D 2012 %I Instituto Nacional de Salud %X Introduction. Rattus norvegicus plays a pivotal role in the maintenance and spread of some zoonotic bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens of public health interest. The presence of helminthic infections near to susceptible populations under appropriate environmental conditions might become a risk factor for their transmission.Objective. To report the frequency of infection with Capillaria hepatica and larval forms of Taenia taeniaeformis on wild rats (R. norvegicus), captured in an urban zone of Medell赤n.Materials and methods. 254 adult specimens of R. norvegicus were collected. The livers of 54 specimens that showed macroscopic hepatic lesions during necropsy were examined by conventional histopathology.Results. The frequency of infestation with C. hepatica was 20.1% (51/254). Six livers were also positive for larvae of T. taeniaeformis, a frequency of 2.4% (6/254). Livers infested with C. hepatica, exhibited adult or juvenile parasites, and oval eggs with bipolar opercula, associated with mild to moderate multifocal granulomatous hepatitis, accompanied by leukocitary infiltrate. We found also resolving granulomatous lesions without adult parasites and eggs and residual fibrosis or containing-eggs calcified lesions. On those animals that had cysticerci of T. taeniaeformis, the most frequent finding was the presence of hepatic cysts containing larvae and inflammatory and fibrotic lesions.Conclusion. These results indicate that potentially zoonotic helminths circulate in R. norvegicus in urban environments. The current study suggests that more research about the distribution of these parasites is required in order to determine whether this is a real or potential threat for human and animal susceptible populations. Introducci車n. Rattus norvegicus cumple un papel epidemiol車gico en el mantenimiento y dispersi車n de agentes zoon車ticos bacterianos, virales y parasitarios de inter谷s en salud p迆blica. La presencia de infecci車n por helmintos en especies de Rattus cercanas a poblaciones susceptibles en condiciones ambientales propicias, puede convertirse en un factor de riesgo de transmisi車n.Objetivo. Reportar la frecuencia de infecci車n con Capillaria hepatica y formas larvarias de Taenia taeniaeformis en ratas silvestres (R. norvegicus) capturadas en una zona urbana de Medell赤n.Materiales y m谷todos. Se capturaron 254 ejemplares de R. norvegicus. Los h赤gados de 54 ejemplares que presentaron lesi車n hep芍tica macrosc車pica durante la necropsia, fueron examinados por histopatolog赤a convencional.Resultados. La frecuencia de infecci車n por C. hepatica fue de 20,1% (51/2 %K Rattus %K parasitosis %K helmintos %K reservorios %K h赤gado %K zoonosis %U http://www.revistabiomedica.org/index.php/biomedica/article/view/442