Temesgen Mohammed

Background: Cephalopina titillator ( C. titillator ) is the causative agent of camel nasopharyngeal myiasis and is widespread in camel-rearing regions worldwide, causing impaired health, reduced productivity, and economic losses. However, despite the veterinary importance of C. titillator , global epidemiological evidence remains limited and fragmented, and no comprehensive synthesis of prevalence data across camel-rearing regions has previously been conducted. The objective of this review was to estimate the global pooled prevalence of C. titillator infestation in camels. In addition, subgroup analyses were made to assess the effect of camel species, geographic region, and study period on the pooled prevalence of C. titillator infestation. Methods: The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review protocol was prospectively registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under registration number CRD420261344750. A literature search was conducted in multiple databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), Google Scholar, and CAB Direct (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International database; CABI). Pooled prevalence was estimated by a random-effects meta-analysis using R software. Heterogeneity of the prevalence reports was assessed using Cochran’s Q and the I ² statistic. Funnel plot and Egger’s test were used for assessing study bias. Results: Forty-one epidemiological studies involving 18,959 camels from 11 countries were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of C. titillator infestation was 67% (95% CI: 59–75%). Heterogeneity among studies was very high (I ² = 99.1%, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences in pooled prevalence among study regions ( p = 0.0016), whereas pooled prevalence was not significantly affected by study period or camel species ( p > 0.05). Although the funnel plot showed slight asymmetry, Egger’s regression test did not indicate statistically significant small-study effects ( p = 0.497). Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated a high pooled prevalence of C. titillator infestation (67%; 95% CI: 59–75%) and revealed important geographical variation across camel-rearing countries, highlighting the substantial epidemiological burden of infestation and the need for region-specific surveillance and control strategies. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, Registration No. CRD420261344750. Publicly accessible at: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=1344750 .

Background: Understanding the genetic makeup of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains is crucial, as lineage differences influence transmissibility, pathogenicity, and drug resistance patterns, all of which are essential for understanding MTBC transmission dynamics and designing effective TB control strategies. The present study investigated the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex among pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients employed at Metahara Sugar Factory, located in Fentale district, East Showa Zone Oromia, central Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 390 suspected pulmonary TB patients. Sputum samples were examined using Ziehl-Neelsen staining and cultured, followed by molecular characterizations of the isolates using region of difference 9 (RD9) deletion typing and spoligotyping.Results: Out of 390 participants, 96 (24.6%) were smear positive, and 89 (22.8%) were culture positive. RD9 deletion typing confirmed 88 isolates as M. tuberculosis. Further characterization of the 88 isolates using spoligotyping revealed 28 distinct spoligotyping patterns of which 15 unique (single isolates), and 13 shared among 73 clustered isolates. Among these, 19 matched shared international type (SITs) in the SpolDB4 database, while, 9 were novel (orphan) patterns. The predominant SITs were SIT523 (19.32%), SIT53 (13.6%), SIT149 (9.1%) and SIT289 (7.95%). Lineage analysis using TB-insight RUN TB-Lineage classified the strains primarily as Euro-American (63.64%), followed by Indo-Oceanic (20.45%), East-African-Indian (14.77%) and M. africanum (1.14%).Conclusion: The high clustering rate observed may suggest recent transmission; however, this must be interpreted cautiously due to the limited discriminatory power of spoligotyping, which may overestimate clustering and underestimate diversity. This underscores the need for targeted TB control strategies informed by enhanced molecular surveillance.

Introduction: The zoonotic transmission of tuberculosis (TB) from cattle to humans has long been recognized, while the reverse transmission from humans to animals has only recently been reported. The socioeconomic conditions in rural Ethiopia are conducive to the zoonotic and reverse zoonotic transmission of TB between cattle and humans. This study aimed to explore the transmission of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex between cattle and humans in Central Ethiopia.Methods: To achieve this objective, a cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1,896 cattle slaughtered at two abattoirs and 392 human subjects suspected of tuberculosis who visited health institutions for treatment. Mycobacteriological culture and spoligotyping were used for the study. Additionally, the Spoligotype International Types and VNTR (variable number of DNA tandem repeats) International Types (SITVIT2) database and the online tool “Run TB-Lineage” were used to identify SIT and lineages of the isolates from both humans and cattle.Results: Culture positivity was found in 26.3% (21/80) of the gross TB-suspicious tissue lesions in the lungs and lymph nodes (mandibular, retropharyngeal, cranial, and caudal mediastinal, as well as left and right bronchial, hepatic, and mesenteric lymph nodes) of cattle. Of the 21 cattle isolates, 12 (57.2%) were identified as M. bovis, while the remaining 9 (42.8%) were classified as M. tuberculosis. Similarly, only 22% (86/392) of the sputum samples from TB-suspicious humans were culture positive. These 86 human isolates included 81 M. tuberculosis, three M. africanum, and two M. bovis, as determined by spoligotyping. SIT50, SIT118, and SIT1318, which belong to the human species, were isolated from both humans and cattle. The two human M. bovis isolates exhibited the pattern of SB1443, which was not identified in cattle within this study area.Conclusion: The zoonotic and reverse zoonotic transmissions of TB were confirmed in Ethiopia by isolating two M. bovis from humans and nine M. tuberculosis from cattle, which suggested a greater role for M. tuberculosis in cattle compared to M. bovis in humans.

Background: Paratuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is a chronic progressive granulomatous enteritis mainly affecting domestic and wild ruminants worldwide. Although paratuberculosis could be prevail in Ethiopia, there is a scarcity of epidemiological data on paratuberculosis in the country. Thus, this study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of paratuberculosis based on gross and microscopic lesions in cattle slaughtered at ELFORA Abattoir, central Ethiopia. Small intestines and associated lymph nodes of 400 apparently healthy cattle which were slaughtered at ELFORA export abattoir were examined for gross and microscopic lesions of paratuberculosis. The microscopic lesions were classified into four grades (I-IV) based on the type and number of cells infiltrated into the lesion. The prevalence of paratuberculosis was estimated on the basis of gross as well as microscopic lesion of paratuberculosis. Results: The prevalence of paratuberculosis was 11.25% (95% Confidence interval, CI = 0.083–0.148) on the basis of gross lesion. However, relatively lower prevalence (2.0%, 95% CI = 0.01, 0.039) was recorded based on microscopic lesion. The gross lesions were characterized by intestinal thickening, mucosal corrugations and enlargement of associated mesenteric lymph nodes. On the other hand, the microscopic lesions were characterized by granuloma of different grades ranging from grade I to grade III lesions. Conclusions: The present study indicated the occurrence of paratuberculosis in cattle of Ethiopia based on the detection of gross and microscopic lesions consistent with the lesion of paratuberculosis. The result of this study could be used as baseline information for future studies on the epidemiology and economic significance of paratuberculosis.