Desta KassuGobena WaktoleKedir Tofik2022-01-252023-11-062022-01-252023-11-062021-09http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/29634Background:-In the health conscious society of 21st century, vegetables become fundamental portion ofhuman diet. They provide us essential vitamins, dietary fiber,minerals, antioxidants and vitamin C.However, due to its high water solubility and heat sensitivity, the vitamin is vulnerable to loss duringthermal processing. During production, collection, transportation and preparation the vegetables usually contaminated with pathogens from human or animal origin. Particularly vegetables requiring minimal orno further processing before consumption are one of the main sources of food born pathogen. Objective:-This study was conducted to determine the bacteriological quality of lettuce and tomatoassociated with consumer’s hygienic practice in lafto vegetable and fruit market in Addis Ababa city,Ethiopia. Methods:-A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2020 to August 2021 in Lafto vegetable and fruit market in Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia. A total of 60 samples of vegetables; 30 samples of lettuceand 30 samples of tomato were purchased, packed in zipper bag and transported to Ethiopian PublicHealth laboratory with the aid of sterilized dish in the ice box.The samples were appropriately diluted,analyzed and calculated for their microbial loads, mean, frequency, percentage and compared withinternational standards.Drug susceptibility test was also done forStaphylococcus aureusandSalmonellaspecies. Results:-Sixty eight percent of total samples had aerobic colony count ≥ 5Log CFU/g; while 57% of samples had total coliform ≥ 4Log CFU/g and 28% of samples had fecal coliform ≥2Log CFU/g whichwere above permissible level for consumption without further processing.E. coli,S.aureus andSalmonellawere isolated from 11%, 16.7% and 5% of total the sample respectively. All S.auresisoletswere sensitive to gentamicin and 80% isolates were sensitive toTetracycline/Chloramphenicol/Erythromycin whereas Ampicillin/Penicillin/Cefoxittine drugs were 100%resistance toS.aureus. Salmonella species isolates were 100% sensitive to Gentamicin and Co-trimoxazoleand 100% resistance to Ampicillin/Tetracycline/Erythromycin. Conclusion:-The present study clearly shows that the bacteriological quality of lettuce and tomato sold inthe market had high level contamination of aerobic colony count, coliforms and Staphylococcus aureusspecies. Therefore vegetables need to be washed and disinfected before consumption.en-USColiforms, colony count, bacteriological quality, lettuce and tomatoThesis