Agumas Shibabaw

Staphylococcal foodborne illness is a prevalent global foodborne disease caused by the ingestion of food contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxi

Background and Aim: Leprosy is one of the most common skin neglected tropical diseases in Ethiopia posing social stigma, physical disability, deformity, discrimination, loss of social status, and poor quality of life in families. Hence, evidence‐based collaborative inter‐sectoral actions should be performed to reduce and eliminate its burden in endemic areas. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the acid‐fast positivity rate and associated factors of leprosy among suspected cases in Northeastern Ethiopia: a cross‐sectional study.Method: A cross‐sectional study was conducted from September 2022 to March 2023 among 256 leprosy‐suspected cases selected using a simple random sampling technique. A semi‐structured questionnaire was used to collect socio‐demographic, clinical, and predictor variables of leprosy through face‐to‐face interviews. Skin slit specimens were collected and stained using Ziehl–Neelsen staining technique. STATA 17 was used for analysis. The scale reliability coefficient was checked using Cronbach's α and the goodness‐of‐fit test of the model was assessed by the Hosmer–Lemshow test. Moreover, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were computed. Finally, variables with an adjusted odds ratio and their p < 0.05 were taken as statistically significant.Result: The mean ± standard deviation of the age of participants was 43.25 ± 16.35. The overall, prevalence of acid‐fast positivity among suspected cases was 19.6% (95% CI: 15.8%, 23.4%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that sex being male (p = 0.045), rural residence (p = 0.047), not eating three times meals frequency (p = 0.014), not eating a balanced diet (p = 0.036), poor personal hygiene (p = 0.028), distant from health facility (p = 0.039), not washing hands usually (p = 0.013), presence of current co‐infection (p = 0.002), type of leprosy (p = 0.004), and close contact with leprosy cases (p = 0.003) were more likely to be positive for leprosy.Conclusion: The prevalence of leprosy was remained high. Thus, early detection and treatment are necessary to reduce delayed diagnosis and hidden transmission of leprosy in the community. By addressing the driving factors through evidence‐based intervention, we can significantly control the burden of leprosy in the affected communities, and improve their health outcomes and quality of life.

Background and Aims: Food‐borne illness is a public health concern in developing countries because of improper food handling and sanitation practices, irregular medical checkups, lack of clean water supplies, and inadequate education among food handlers. This study investigated the burden of bacterial food‐borne illness, antibiotic resistance patterns, and associated factors among food handlers in prison and nonprison food establishment settings.Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted from August 2022 to January 2023 among asymptomatic food handlers in Shewa Robit town. A total of 384 food handlers participated. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Stool and hand swab samples were collected and cultivated onto MacConkey agar, xylose‐lysine‐deoxycholate, Mannitol salt agar, and blood agar, and incubated at 37°C. Bacterial species were identified using biochemical tests and gram staining. Mueller–Hinton agar was used in Kirby Bauer's disk diffusion method. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis were performed.Results: Fecal and hand carriage rate of bacterial isolates were 106 (27.6%), and 214 (55.7%), respectively. Out of the 102 bacterial isolates, the most common ones from stool samples were Escherichia coli 71 (18.5%), Klebsiella aerogenes 12 (3.1%), and Salmonella spp. 7 (1.8%). Among 214 bacterial isolates, coagulase‐negative Staphylococci 115 (29.9%) and Staphylococci aureus 66 (17.3%) were identified from hand swab samples. Hand washing practice after restroom with water (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16–3.45), irregular medical checkups (AOR = 2.49; 95% CI: 1.35–4.59), and did not receive food safety and hygiene training (AOR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.34–4.05) were statistically significant association with food‐borne illness.Conclusions: Foodborne pathogens pose a serious health risk in the study areas. The level of antimicrobial resistance are also concerning. Food handlers should therefore get strict regular health education, medical checkups, and training programs to prevent the spread of infections to the customers.

Objective: Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus are the leading causes of global liver-related morbidity and mortality. Waste handlers are one of the high-risk groups for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus acquisition. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the pooled prevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus among waste handlers in Ethiopia. Methods: Articles were extensively searched in bibliographic databases and gray literature using entry terms or phrases. Studies meeting eligibility criteria were extracted in MS Excel and exported to STATA version 14 software for statistical analysis. A random-effects model was used to compute the pooled magnitude of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. Heterogeneity was quantified by using the I² value. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger’s test. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the impact of a single study on pooled effect size. Result: Of the 116 studies identified, 8 studies were selected for meta-analysis. All studies reported hepatitis B virus, while 5 studies reported hepatitis C virus infection among waste handlers. The overall pooled prevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection among waste handlers in Ethiopia was 5.07% (2.0–8.15) and 1.46% (0.52–2.4), respectively. Moreover, the pooled prevalence of lifetime hepatitis B virus exposure among Ethiopian waste handlers was 33.98% (95% CI: 21.24–46.72). Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection were not statistically associated with the type of waste handlers, that is, there was no difference between medical and nonmedical waste handlers. PROSPERO registration: CRD42023398686. Conclusion: The pooled prevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection among waste handlers in Ethiopia was intermediate and moderate, respectively. This showed that there is a strong need to scale up preventive efforts and strategic policy directions to limit the spread of these viruses. Moreover, we also conclude that handling healthcare and domestic waste is associated with a similar risk of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection.

Background and Aims: Intestinal parasites affect the tuberculosis disease outcome by shifting the cell‐mediated to humoral immune response and host immune system suppression. However, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection favors the immune escape of parasites. Hence, exploring the rate of intestinal parasitic coinfection with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and its predisposing factors to take better preventive, control, and management measures.Methods: A facility‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted from September to December 2020 at five health institutions in Hawassa city. A total of 214 PTB patients were diagnosed using the GeneXpert assay and enrolled in this study. Demographic, clinical, and risk factors data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Stool samples were collected using a clean, labeled, and leak‐proof stool cup. Stool samples were examined using direct saline microscopy and the formal‐ether concentration technique. The data were entered and coded in SPSS software for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were employed to identify the associated risk factors. A p‐value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The overall rate of intestinal parasitic‐MTB coinfection was 36.9%. The most dominant intestinal parasite was Gardia lamblia (17.8%, 38), followed by Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (9.3%, 20). Intestinal parasitosis coinfection of PTB was associated with being rural resident (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23–4.8), not washing of fruits and vegetables before eating [AOR = 4.14; 95% CI: 1.92–9], being at the early stage of anti‐TB treatment [AOR = 3; 95% CI: 1.5–6.3] and presence of chronic diseases [AOR = 7; 95% CI: 3.4–14].Conclusion: The burden of intestinal parasites‐MTB coinfection was high. Those who wash fruits and vegetables before eating should be encouraged, early treatment of PTB patients and avoiding the practice of open‐field defecation, especially in rural communities, is necessary. The dual effect of coinfection on disease severity and treatment success needs further cohort study.

Background: Drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis prevention and care is a major challenge in Ethiopia. The World health organization has designated Ethiopia as one of the 30 high burden multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) countries. There is limited information regarding genetic diversity and transmission dynamics of MDR-TB in Ethiopia. Objective: To investigate the molecular epidemiology and transmission dynamics of MDR-TB strains using whole genome sequence (WGS) in the Amhara region. Methods: Forty-five MDR-TB clinical isolates from Amhara region were collected between 2016 and 2018, and characterized using WGS and 24-loci Mycobacterium Interspersed Repetitive Units Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (MIRU-VNTR) typing. Clusters were defined based on the maximum distance of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or alleles as the upper threshold of genomic relatedness. Five or less SNPs or alleles distance or identical 24-loci VNTR typing is denoted as surrogate marker for recent transmission. Results: Forty-one of the 45 isolates were analyzed by WGS and 44% (18/41) of the isolates were distributed into 4 clusters. Of the 41 MDR-TB isolates, 58.5% were classified as lineage 4, 36.5% lineage 3 and 5% lineage 1. Overall, TUR genotype (54%) was the predominant in MDR-TB strains. 41% (17/41) of the isolates were clustered into four WGS groups and the remaining isolates were unique strains. The predominant cluster (Cluster 1) was composed of nine isolates belonging to lineage 4 and of these, four isolates were in the recent transmission links. Conclusions: Majority of MDR-TB strain cluster and predominance of TUR lineage in the Amhara region give rise to concerns for possible ongoing transmission. Efforts to strengthen TB laboratory to advance diagnosis, intensified active case finding, and expanded contact tracing activities are needed in order to improve rapid diagnosis and initiate early treatment. This would lead to the interruption of the transmission chain and stop the spread of MDR-TB in the Amhara region.

Background and Aims: Malaria elimination programs have also encountered numerous challenges, such as widespread asymptomatic carriers in endemic areas, which should be taken into account in malaria‐control programs for effective transmission interruption. The purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria infections and associated factors, in pastoral communities.Methods: A community‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted among selected districts in the Waghemra Zone, Northeast Ethiopia, from September to December 2022. A structured questionnaire was employed to collect sociodemographic data and associated risk factors. Plasmodium species were detected using light microscopy and a rapid diagnostic test. Data entry and analysis were carried out using SPSS version 26 software. The association between dependent and independent variables was explored by using multivariable logistic regression analyses. A statistically significant association was declared at a p‐value of Plasmodium falciparum infections accounting for 67.8% (87/134). Among asymptomatic participants, 7.5% (34/451) and 10.2% (46/451) were diagnosed by rapid diagnostic test and light microscopy, respectively. On the other hand, the prevalence of symptomatic malaria was 44.5% (81/182) and 48.4% (88/182) as diagnosed by rapid diagnostic test and light microscopy, respectively. The presence of stagnant water near the houses, the utilization of insecticide‐treated mosquito nets, the number of insecticide‐treated mosquito nets, and outdoor stays at night were all positively linked with the prevalence of malaria.Conclusions: The overall prevalence estimate for symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria was high. Malaria is still a public health problem in the study area. Malaria infection was associated with the presence of stagnant water near the houses, the utilization of insecticide‐treated mosquito nets, the number of insecticide‐treated mosquito nets, and outdoor stays at night. Improved access to all malaria interventions is needed to interrupt the transmission at the community level.

Wound infection plays an important role in the development of chronicity by delaying wound healing, prolonging hospital stay, increasing treatment cost and is responsible for significant morbidity. The aim of this study was to investigate the bacterial epidemiology, multi-drug resistance, and associated risk factors for wound infection at health institutions in Northeast Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2021. Demographic, clinical, and risk factor variables were collected using a structured questionnaire. Swabs/pus from wound were collected using sterile applicator swab. Specimens were inoculated on culture media and bacterial isolates were identified using microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software. A total of 229 participants were included in this study. A total of 170 bacterial isolates (74.2%) were isolated. The predominant isolates were S. aureus 80 (47.05%), followed by P. aeruginosa 29 (17.05%), E. coli 22 (12.94%), and Klebsiella spp . 16 (9.41%). Tetracycline (71.7%), clindamycin (15.2%), erythromycin (30.4%), penicillin (80.4%), and co-trimoxazole (80.4%) resistance rates were observed among Gram positive bacterial isolates. The overall prevalence of multi-drug resistance was 71%. Hence, improving the laboratory setup for culture and drug susceptibility testing is recommended for effective treatment of wound infection and to improve infection prevention and control practices in healthcare settings.

Introduction: The Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a catastrophic emerging global health threat caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 has a wide range of complications and sequelae. It is devastating in developing countries, causing serious health and socioeconomic crises as a result of the increasingly overburdened healthcare system. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Ethiopia. Methods: Electronic databases, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Research Gate, Embase, and Scopus were thoroughly searched from March to April 2022 to identify relevant studies. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality scale for cross-sectional studies. STATA-12 was used for analysis. A random-effects model was used to compute the pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The heterogeneity was quantified by using the I² value. Subgroup analysis was done for sex, age of study subjects, population type, diagnostic methods, and publication year. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger’s test. A sensitivity analysis was also done. Result: 11 studies consisting of 35,376 study participants (15,759 male and 19,838 female) were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was 8.83%. There was substantial heterogeneity, with an I² value of 99.3%. The pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was higher in males (9.27%) than in females (8.8%). According to the publication year, a higher prevalence was obtained in 2021 (12.69%). Similarly, it was higher in the population of specific groups (16.65%) than in the general population (5.75%). Conclusion: the national pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Ethiopian population was 8.83%. This indicates that the burden of COVID-19 is still high, which urges routine screening and appropriate treatment.