Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in Rice-Field Rats in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

From March to December, 2002, a total of 600 rice-field rats (Rattus argentiventer) living in the wild were captured in 5 provinces of the Mekong delta, Vietnam, and examined for the presence of Salmonella. Of the 600 cecal samples from the rats that were examined, 116 (19.3%) were Salmonella-positive. Of 116 Salmonella isolates, 9 serotypes were identified. The most common serotypes of the rats were S. London, S. Weltevreden and S. Derby. These results indicate that the rice-field rat may play an important role as a reservoir for or vehicle for the transmission of Salmonella to the surrounding environment in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.