| Summary: | This study was conducted in the period July 2009 through June 2010 to determine the role of commensal rodents in transmitting bacterial pathogens to man in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt. A total of 50 rats of various species were selected from both urban and rural areas at different localities. In the laboratory, rodent species were identified and bacteriological examination was performed. Seven types of samples were cultured from external and internal body parts of each rat. The identified rodent spp. included Rattus norvegicus (16%), Rattus rattus rattus (42%) and Rattus rattus frugivorus (42%). The results demonstrated that S. aureus, S. lentus, S. sciuri and S. xylosus were isolated from the examined rats at percentages of 8, 2, 6 and 6 %, respectively. Moreover, E. durans (2%), E. faecalis (12%), E. faecium (24%), E. gallinarum (4%), Aerococcus viridans (12%) and S. porcinus (2%) in addition to Lc. lactis lactis (4%), Leuconostoc sp. (2%) and Corynebacterium kutscheri (8%) were also harbored by the screened rodents. On the other hand, S. arizonae, E. coli, E. cloacae and E. sakazakii were isolated from the examined rats at percentages of 4, 8, 4 and 6 %, respectively. Besides, Proteus mirabilis (6%), Proteus vulgaris (2%), Providencia rettgeri (6%), P. aeruginosa (4%), Burkholderia cepacia (2%) and V. fluvialis (2%) were also recovered from the investigated rodents. It was concluded that considerable bacterial pathogens could be harbored in/on different body parts of the examined rodents and that commensal rodents prevalent in Beni-Suef Governorate supply multiple potentials through which they may act as sources of infection and occasionally represent a serious threat to the public health.
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