Studies evaluating the occurrence of enteropathogenic bacteria in urban rats (Rattus spp.) are scarce worldwide, specifically in the urban environments of tropical countries. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) and Salmonella spp. with zoonotic potential in urban slum environments. We trapped rats between April and June 2018 in Salvador, Brazil. We collected rectal swabs contents from Rattus spp., and cultured for E. coli and Salmonella spp., and screened E. coli isolates by PCR to identify pathotypes. E. coli were found in 70 % of Rattus norvegicus and were found in four Rattus rattus. DEC were isolated in 31.3 % of the 67 R. norvegicus. The pathotypes detected more frequently were shiga toxin E. coli (STEC) in 11.9 %, followed by atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC) in 10.4 % and https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
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