The primary objective of this study was to determine the incidence of some food borne pathogensrnin retail beef samples, and also assess the hygienic status of the retail beef with respect tornmicrobial load and micro flora. During the period between November 200 I and July 2002, a totalrnof 200 beef samples (500g per sample) consisting of 100 sliced and 100 minced beef samplesrnwere purchased from 20 butchers' shops in four city zones of Addis Ababa. Microbiologicalrnanalysis of the beef samples based on cultural, microscopic and serological methods has revealedrnthe following results. The mean Mesolithic aerobic plate counts (MAPC) of the sliced and thernminced beef samples were 8.21 log cfu/g and 8.24 log Cfll/g, respectively. There was nornstatistically significant difference between the mean MAPC vallles of the sliced and the mincedrnbeef samples (P > 0,05, to" =0.877, at 45 d.f), Of the 25 sliced and the 22 minced beefrnsamples, 23 and 19 beef samples respectively, were of unacceptable quality due to highrnMesolithic aerobic counts levels. The mean total coli form counts of the sl iced and the mincedrnbeef samples were 7.02 log cfu/g and 6.44 log cfll/g, respectively. The mean co lints ofrnStaphylococci in the sliced and the minced beef samples were 6.68 log cfu/g and 6.91 log cfu/grnrespectively. Although carcinogenicity of the strains was not assessed, 4 of the 25 sliced beefrnand 4 of the 22 minced beef samples had staphylococci counts (> 7 log cfu/g) near the thresholdrnfor production of detectable Staphylococcus enterotoxin (SÂ£). In the sliced beef samples,rnmicrococci (40.8%), staphylococci (29.1%), Bacillus spp. (l3J%) and the Enterobacteriaceaern(10.4%), in their order, were the four top leading dominant mesophilic aerobic bacteria (MAB)rnwhereas in the minced beef samples micrococci (41.2%), the Enterobacteriaceae (19.69%), otherrngram negative rods (OGPR) (12.73%) and, Bacillus spp (IOJ) in their order, dominated thernMesolithic aerobic flora. Shillelagh were not detected in any of the 200 beef samples. Salmonellaernwere detected in 2 (I %) of the 200 beef sample. The two isolated strains belonged to Salmonellarnserogroup D and were sensitive to all the ten antimicrobials tested. Of the total 200 beef samplesrnscreened, only I (0.5%) sliced beef sample was found to be positive for E. coli 0 157:H7 and thern. isolated single strain was resistant to cephalothin, amoxicillin and ampicillin but was susceptiblernto the remaining seven antimicrobials used in the test. Virulence of the isolated E. coli 0157:H7rnwas not detetmined. This work is the first report on the occurrence of the serotype in beef inrnEthiopia and may serve as a pedestal in launching more comprchensive investigation tornconclusively establish the occurrence of virulent strains. Considering the very poor hygienicrnstandard of the retail beef as evidenced by the high microbial load, the count of staphylococci andrnthe incidence 0 f salmonellae, and E. coli 0 157:H7, the consumption of raw or under cooked beefrnshould be discouraged. Based on tentative observations of some factors that might haverncontributed to the poor hygienic conditions of the beef samples, a flow chart-based potential critical points are outlined