Background: Antibacterial resistance (ABR) varies between regions and countries depending upon consumption degree of both animal and human antibiotics, which is guided and regulated by the antibiotic policies of a particular country.

Objective: This study was aimed to test antibacterial resistance of Escherichia coli from rectal swabs of synanthropic rodents in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods: A total of 77 rodents were trapped and standard methods were used to isolate E. coli from all the rodent species comprising Stenocephalemys albipes 24(31.2%), Mus mohamet 18(23.4%), Arvicanthis spp 15(19.5%), Mastomys erythroleucus 12(15%), Gerbriliscus species 4(5.2%), Crocidura oliveri 3 (3%) and Acomys wilsoni 1(1.3%). Disc diffusion method was used to determine the antimicrobial resistance pattern of the E. coli against twelve antimicrobial agents: Amoxicillin, Chloramphenicol, Ciprofloxacin, Nalidixic acid, Ampicillin, Gentamicin, Nitrofuratoin, Ceftazidime, Cloxacillin, Ceftriaxone, Tetracycline, and Amoxicillinclavunic acid.

Results: The antibiogram revealed that 31.38% of the E. coli isolates were resistant to all drugs tested except Ciprofloxacin, Gentamicin and Chloramphenicol. Complete resistance to amoxicillin and Amoxicillinclavunic acid was observed in the E.coli isolates.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that synanthropic rodents in the household compounds may have been exposed to materials containing antibacterial residues and that rodents carry and transfer drug resistant bacteria which can pose a public health hazards to humans and other domestic animals. The need to introduce and sustain rodent control programme is implicated. Special emphasis is also needed to be given for the rational use of drugs as part of controlling antibacterial resistance by bacterial pathogens.