Helminth parasites of British rodents and insectivores

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Abstract
Field and laboratory studies on the helminths of rodents have mainly involved direct life‐cycle nematodes (of the super families Rhabditoidea, Oxyuroidea, Trichuroidea and Trichostrongyloidea) and, to a lesser extent, indirect life‐cycle cyclophyllidean cestodes (of the families Catenotaeniidae and Hymenolepididae). In insectivores on the other hand, because of their different feeding habits, the composition of the helminth fauna largely comprises hymenolepid and dilepidid cestodes together with brachylaemid and dicrocoeliid digeneans, the life cycles of which are little known. The value of further studies on the biogeography of helminths of rodents and insectivores in the British Isles is emphasized. The role of rodent nematodes as laboratory models for chemotherapy is also discussed.