Helminth fauna of the golden hamster Mesocricetus auratus in Brazil

Helminth fauna of conventionally maintained hamsters from institutional ani mal houses that supply the research community with laboratory animals and f rom an openly kept control group, randomly purchased in a pet shop in the S tate of Rio de Janeiro, were evaluated and compared. Necropsied animals fro m institutional suppliers were infected with the oxyurid nematodes Syphacia criceti and S. mesocriceti and with the cestode Rodentolepis, nana; those from the pet shop were infected with S. mesocriceti and R. nana. These are the first morphometric data that are based on Brazilian samples of these sp ecies parasitizing hamsters. Mesocricetus auratus is a newly recorded host for S. criceti, previously recovered from Oryzomys subflavus and Calomys ca llosus in Brazil. The potential of pet and laboratory hamsters in the sprea ding of helminth infections to humans is also considered.