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Rodent-Borne Parasites and Human Disease: A Growing Public Health Concern
by
, , , and
Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales
1,2,*
,
Awad A. Shehata
3
,
Rokshana Parvin
4
,
Shadia Tasnim
4, 
Phelipe Magalhães Duarte
5 and
Shereen Basiouni
6,* 1
Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima 15307, Peru
2
Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas-Institución, Universitaria Visión de las Américas, Pereira 660003, Colombia
3
TUM School of Natural Sciences, Bavarian NMR Center (BNMRZ), Structural Membrane Biochemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
4
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2200, Bangladesh
5
Postgraduate Program in Animal Bioscience, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife 52171-900, Pernambuco, Brazil
6
Center for Preclinical Research, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2025, 15(18), 2681; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15182681 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 1 July 2025
/
Accepted: 10 September 2025
/
Published: 13 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rodents: Biology and Ecology)
Simple Summary
Rodents are among the most widespread mammals globally and serve as key reservoirs for many parasites that can infect humans. These parasites include protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites, which are capable of causing serious diseases such as toxoplasmosis, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and trichinellosis. The spread of these parasites is exacerbated by factors such as urbanization, inadequate sanitation, and climate change, which increase the likelihood of contact between rodents and humans. This review highlights the growing public health threat of rodent-borne parasites. It emphasizes the importance of One Health approaches that integrate environmental management, rodent control, public education, and global surveillance. Understanding and addressing these risks is essential to protect both human and animal health.
Abstract
Rodents are among the most widespread mammals globally and serve as critical reservoirs for a wide array of zoonotic parasites that significantly impact human health. This review explores the growing public health concern of rodent-borne parasitic diseases, encompassing protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites. Key protozoan parasites include Toxoplasma gondii, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Cryptosporidium spp., all of which are capable of causing severe diseases in humans and are found in rodent populations. Zoonotic helminths such as Hymenolepis spp., Trichinella spiralis, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Capillaria hepatica, and Baylisascaris procyonis also demonstrate substantial zoonotic potential. Moreover, ectoparasites like Xenopsylla cheopis, Ornithonyssus bacoti, and Ixodes spp. play key roles in the transmission of vector-borne diseases, including plague, murine typhus, and Lyme disease. Anthropogenic factors, including urbanization, poor sanitation, habitat destruction, and climate change, exacerbate the emergence and spread of these infections. These drivers not only disrupt rodent ecology but also increase the frequency of human–rodent interactions, facilitating zoonotic transmission. Despite the severity of these threats, rodent-borne parasitic diseases remain underrecognized, particularly in low-resource settings where surveillance and control efforts are often limited. This review highlights the pressing need for integrated One Health strategies that encompass rodent population control, environmental hygiene, vector management, and public education. Strengthening global surveillance systems and investing in interdisciplinary research are critical for early detection, risk assessment, and prevention of future outbreaks. Tackling the ecological and environmental drivers of rodent-borne parasitic diseases is essential to safeguard both human and animal health in an increasingly interconnected world.
