A total of 70 random samples of Kareish cheese (35 each of Kareish cheese made from raw skimmed milk and Kareish cheese made from pasteurized skimmed milk) were collected from Assiut City markets, supermarkets, groceries and dairy shops. The average counts of APC, enterococci, Staph. aureus and total yeasts and molds were 1.3x10⁷, 2.4x10⁶, 1.1x10⁷ and 3.0x10⁶ cfu/g of the examined raw milk Kareish cheese samples, respectively. The average values of APC, enterococci, Staph. aureus and total yeasts and molds were 2.4x10⁵, 2.2x10³, 1.8x10⁵ and 4.3x10³ of the examined pasteurized Kareish cheese samples, respectively. Moreover, kareish cheese samples made from pasteurized skimmed milk were completely free from fecal coliforms, E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Anaerobic spore formers could be detected in 54.3 and 2.9% of the examined Kareish cheese samples made from raw and pasteurized skimmed milk, respectively. 20% of the examined raw milk Kareish cheese samples were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The present study proved that Kareish cheese samples made from pasteurized skimmed milk was better in microbiological quality than Kareish cheese samples made from raw skimmed milk which reflect the neglected sanitary conditions under which raw milk Kareish cheese is produced, therefore, strict hygienic measures should be adopted during production of raw milk Kareish cheese. The public heath significance and suggested control measures were discussed.