A general survey of blood and tissue parasites of some rodents in Arbil province, Iraq.

In a survey of blood and tissue parasites from 233 mice and rats, consisting of 105 specimens of house mice (Mus musculus), 99 black rats (Rattus rattus), and 29 Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus), collected from different localities of Arbil province, northern Iraq, Trypanosoma lewisi was found in 7 (7.07%) of 99 R. rattus and in 5 (17.86%) of 29 R. norvegicus, while Trypanosoma musculi was found in 4 (3.80%) of 105 M. musculus and this is the first record of this trypanosome from rodents in Iraq. During the preparation of tissue impression smears we came across 2 specimens of Fasciola hepatica in the livers of 2 R. norvegicus and the incidence of infection was 6.89%. Examination of other organs revealed no parasites. F. hepatica which is recorded, in the present study, for the first time from rodents in Iraq, is of particular importance since it infects both humans and domestic animals.