spp. as Reservoirs of Multidrug Resistance- and Biofilm-Forming in Urban Community from Southern Thailand.

Rats are rodents commonly found in Thailand that carry various zoonotic pathogens. Bacterial zoonosis can occur in a shared environment between humans and rats, especially in human communities and agricultural areas. , particularly pathogenic and multidrug-resistant strains, is a significant public health concern that is transmitted by rats. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance (ABR) and biofilm formation of in caught rodents from Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand. Captured rats were dissected to collect intestinal content for isolation. Two hundred and two confirmed were subjected for pathotype identification, antibiotic susceptibility testing, biofilm-forming ability (BFA), and the presence of related genes. Two isolates from intestinal content samples were atypical enteropathogenic (aEPEC). Predominantly, 52.97% of had azithromycin resistance, which was harbored by 35.64% of captured rats. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was found in 12.38% of isolates with 17 different MDR patterns. Remarkably, 96% of MDR isolates were resistant to azithromycin. Most harbored (52%), followed by the and genes (6.44% each). Approximately 87% of isolated revealed moderate-to-high BFA. Predominantly, moderate-to-strong biofilm-forming harbored and genes. aEPEC, azithromycin resistance, MDR, and moderate-to-strong formation were the aspects of concern. Furthermore, the study of antibiotic-resistant in rats should be performed, particularly in terms of the transmission pathway, and the application of rats as bioindicators for ABR surveillance in Thailand should be established.