Abstract
These investigations were carried out in some of the villages around Taveta Town, Coast Province, Kenya, during the dry seasons of 1974, 1975 and 1976. The authors examined 83 wild rodents from villages where there is a high infection rate of S. mansoni and/or S. haematobium. The number and species of the rodents collected were as follows : 41 Pelomys sp., 2 Arvicanthis sp., 6 Dendromus sp., 5 Thamnomys sp., 1 Rattus rattus from Jipe, 4 Pelomys sp., 3 Arvicanthis sp., 3 Mastomys sp. from Eldoro, 1 Pelomys sp., 10 Arvicanthis sp., 7 Mastomys sp. from Kivalwa. Among them, 18 Pelomys sp. (43.9%) from Jipe and 1 Pelomys sp. (25.0%) from Eldoro proved to be infected with Schistosoma flukes. These flukes were identified as S. mansoni on the basis of their morphological features as well as the infectivity to their transmitters. In the experimental exposure of Biomphalaria sudanica to miracidia obtained from Pelomys sp., a number of cercariae were observed. This snail also proved to be infected with S. mansoni from human infection. From these investigations, it was suggested that the creek rodent, Pelomys sp. may play the role as a reservoir host of Schistosoma mansoni in this area.
