Foodborne diseases can be defined as diseases commonly transmitted through food. Foodborne diseases comprise a broad group of illnesses caused by microbial pathogens, parasites, chemical contaminants and biotoxins. The burden of disease can be defined as the incidence and prevalence of morbidity, disability, and mortality associated with acute and chronic manifestations of diseases. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has identified more than 400 food-related illnesses. About two thirds of all outbreaks involve bacteria. The illnesses are caused either by the microorganisms themselves or by the toxins they release. The consumption of foods contaminated by foodborne pathogenic microorganisms and toxins produced by them cause deaths, illnesses, hospitalization, and economic losses. Due to their widespread nature, foodborne diseases, in particular gastro-intestinal infections, represent a very large group of pathologies with a strong negative impact on public health. Many food-borne disease incidents are reported every year in Africa. Numerous factors, contribute to this high number of incidents. However, it is extremely important to note that most cases of foodborne disease in the region are not reported, so the true extent of the problem is unknown. In most countries of the region, the surveillance infrastructure for food-borne diseases of both microbiological and chemical aetiology is weak or non-existent. This absence of reliable data on the burden of food-borne disease impedes understanding about its public health importance and prevents the development of risk based solutions to its management

Citation: Assefa T, Tasew H, Wondafrash B, Beker J (2015) Assessment of Bacterial Hand Contamination and Associated Factors among Food Handlers Working in the Student Cafeterias of Jimma University Main Campus, Jimma, South West Ethiopia. J Community Med Health Educ 5: 345.

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