Helminth fauna and zoonotic potential of the European hamster Cricetus cricetus Linnaeus, 1758 in agrobiocoenoses from Vojvodina province (Serbia)

A total of 359 European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) captured at four localities in Vojvodina Province were examined for the presence of helminths. The majority of the captured animals (88 %) were infected with nematode species Heligmosomoides travassosi and six species of cestodes (Hymenolepis diminuta, Rodentolepis fraterna, R. straminea, Paranoplocephala omphalodes and Mesocestoides sp. - in larval stages). Nematodes were the dominant group. The dominant cestode species was H. diminuta. All of the tapeworm species reported here represent new findings for the European hamster in Serbia. The tapeworms H. diminuta and Mesocestoides sp. are capable of infecting humans and causing pathological symptoms, making the hamster a carrier of zoonoses and a potential threat to public health. In order to uncover the full range of helminths utilizing the European hamster as a host in Serbia and understanding the scope of its zoonotic potential, further research on the subject must be carried out.