Histopathological study on rodent small intestine infected with an adult tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta recorded at Sohag, Egypt

Rodents play a significant role in public health, Chiefly due to their role as carriers or reservoirs of microbes and parasites of zoonotic importance. The main objective of the present study was to make a histopathological study on the small intestine of rodents infected with an adult tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta collected from two sites at Sohag, Egypt. The study revealed that The infection percentages of the present rodent with the adult tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta were (12% females) and (16% males) and (12% females) and (8% males) in first and second sites, respectively. Histopathologically, the lumina of the present rodent intestine contained tapeworm. Presence of the tapeworm in lumina of the infected rodent intestine lead to excessive mucin secretion in luminal debris. Some intestinal villi appeared blunt andreduced in height. The intestinal muscularis layers were thickened. Moreover, inflammatory cells infiltration in the connective tissue core of the villi and crypts were observed. Erosion and adhesion of the tip of villi were observed in the intestine. The proliferating activity of the enterocytes was evidently increased and mitotic figures were observed not only in the intestinal crypts but also in the epithelium covering the middle third of the villi. Crypts and villi hyperplasia of intestine were observed.