Prevalence of mastitic staphylococci, streptococci & coliform speciesrnin foremilk samples of apparently healthy lactating cows was studied inrn3 dairy farms. One hundred & twenty apparently healthy lactating cowsrnwere randomly selected on the basis of lactation numbers. These were 40rnfrom Debre Zeit, 40 from Repi & 40 from Kumbi dairy farms. Pooled foremilkrnsamples ~ere co11ected from the teats of each lactating cO~ & totallyrn120 foremilk samples were collected & analysed from the 3 farms.rnThe total mesophilic aerobic bacterial, streptococcal & staphylococcalrncounts & the bacterial counts of Staphylococcus & Streptococcus speciesrnwere estimated using different kinds of media. The susceptibilities ofrn55 isolates of mastitic staphylococcal & streptococcal strains to 11rnantibiotics was determined using the standard agar disc diffusionrntechnique.rnThe total mesophilic aerobic bacterial counts was highly variable &rnranged from hundreds to mi11ions in a11 of the dairy farms. The high totalrnmesophilic aerobic bacterial counts greater than or equal to 1 x 105rncolony forming units I mi11iliter were mainly associated with high numbersrnof streptococcal counts. Staphylococci were regularly isolated in allrnforemilk samples, however, their contribution to increases in the totalrnmesophilic aerobic bacterial count was not as significant as that ofrnrd 'rnstreptococci. At the 3 & subsequent lactations, the number of co~srnthat had total mesophilic aerobic bacterial counts'greater than or equalrnto 2xl04 colony forming units/milliliter increased at Kumbi & Repirnfarms. At the Debre Zeit farm, with increases in lactation numbers thernnumber of cows that had greater than or equal to lxlO 5 colony formingrnunits/milliliter was high.Five hundred & thirty five isolates were biochemically tested fromrnthe 120 samples. Of these 312 belonged to Staphylococcus, 215rnbelonged to Streptococcus, 6 belonged to Micrococcus & 2 belonged torncoliform. Five species & 2 subspecies of staphylococci, 7 species ofrnstreptococci & 1 coliform species were identified. Among mastiticrnstaphylococci, Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most prevalent and wasrnisolated from 80.8% of the foremilk samples, followed by Staphylococcusrnaureu~ (20%), Staphylococcus hyi~ subsp. chromogenes (12.5%),rnStaphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus (5.8%). Similarly, otherrnStaphylococcus species were also isolated in different proportions:rnStaphylococcus simulans (6.7%), Staphylococcus xylosus (4.2%),rnStaphllococcus intermedius (0.83%) & Staphylococcus hominis/Staphylococcusrnw~rneri / Staphylococcus haemolyticus group (6.7%).rnOf the mastitic streptococcal strains, Streptococcus bovis was thernmost prevalent &was isolated from 40.8% of the lactating cows sampled,rnfollowedÂ·by Streptococcus uberis (15.8%), Streptococcus dysagalactiaern(14.2%), Streptococcus agalactiae (9.2%), Streptococcus faecalis (5%),rnStreptococcus sp. G (5.8%) & Streptococcus infrequens (0.8%). Otherrnstreptococcal strains were also isolated. Streptococcus lactis liasrndetected in 0.8% of the samples.rnGenerally the frequency of isolation for Streptococcus uberis,rnStreptococcus dysagalactiae, Streptococcus agalactiae & Staphylococcusrnaureus was high during the latter lactation numbers (3, 4 & 5).rnEscherichia coli was not common in the herds & was detected inrn1.7% of the foremilk samples from one herd only.rnAmong 30 isolates of staphylococcal strains tested, 26.7% lIerernresistant to penicillin & tetracycline. All the staphylococcal strainsliere sensitive to erythromycin, oxacillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol,rnkanamycin, gentamycin, streptomycin, clindamycin & vancomycin.rnOf 25 isolates of streptococcal strains, resistance to oxacillin,rntetracycline, kanamycin, gentamycin, streptomycin was sholin by 8, 23, 8rn16 & 40% of the iso1ate~. respectively. All the streptococcal strains werernsensitive to penicillin, erythromycin, cephalothin, c1indamycin,rnvancomycin & chloramphenicol.