Rodents are often hosts of zoonotic diseases.Rodent surveillance may provide useful information for risk assessment and alert on rodent borne disesaes.A rodent surveillance network was initiated by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) in 2005.Surveillance was carried out at 41 subregions of 19 provincial areas.Urban and rural residential areas,food manufacturers and restaurants are three important habitats under surveillance.Three species of commensal rodents,Mus musculus,Rattus norvegicus and R.tanezumi are dominant in indoor habitats,and Apodemus agrarius is an important species outdoors in central,north and northeast of China.The seasonal rodent density rises from spring,reaches a peak in autumn,then decreases rapidly in winter.Overall the annual rodent density decreased from 2005 to 2013,but for some cities the annual density fluctuated in different years.Both R.norvegicus and A.agrarius are host animals of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) .The results of the surveillance show these two species are common in residential areas of China,even in some metropolises.Thus continuation of surveillance and control of these rodent species is necessary to reduce transmission of zoonoses.