Parasites of house rats (Rattus rattus complex) in Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia

House rats are commensals and have been incriminated to transmit zoonotic diseases to humans. The rats in this study were captured from the coastal, downtown and suburban areas in Mataram. Endoparasites from faecal and intestine samples and ectoparasites of the captured rats were collected for identification. They were infected with four species of ectoparasites, and six species of helminths. The ectoparasites found in the study were mites (Laelaps echidninus and Ornithonyssus bacoti), lice (Polyplax spinulosa), and fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis). Endoparasites in the faecal and intestine samples included Hymenolepis nana, H. diminuta, Strongyloides sp., Trichostrongylus sp., Trichuris sp., and Moniliformis dubius. The predominant ectoparasites were Laelaps echidninus, Polyplax spinulosa, and Xenopsylla cheopis. The abundant helminth species were Hymenolepis diminuta and Trichostrongylus sp.