Detection and antibiogram profile of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli isolated from two abattoir settings in northwest Ethiopia: a one health perspective.

BACKGROUND: Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a zoonotic pathogen that contaminates abattoir workers, slaughter environments, slaughter equipment, and carcasses during abattoir processing. Infection with E. coli is associated with the consumption of contaminated food and water, and it is a potential threat to the health and welfare of both humans and animals. Hence, this study aimed to detect diarrheagenic E. coli and assess its antibiogram profile in two abattoir settings, in one health lens. METHODS: A cross-sectional study in one health approach was conducted from December 2020 to June 2021. A total of 384 samples from abattoir workers' hands, carcasses, knives, cattle feces, abattoir water and effluents were collected. Bacterial culture and biochemical tests were conducted to isolate E. coli, while conventional polymerase chain reaction was performed to identify virulence genes. The antibiogram of diarrheagenic E. coli was tested against nine antimicrobials using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. RESULTS: A total of 115 (29.95%) E. coli were isolated from the 384 samples, and from these isolates, about 17 (14.8%) were confirmed to be diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC). Among the DEC pathotypes, nine (52.94%), five (29.4%), and three (17.65%) were Shiga toxin-producing, enterohemorrhagic, and enterotoxigenic E. coli, respectively. While 14 (82.35%) DEC isolates harbored the stx2 gene, five (29.41%) the eae gene, five (29.41%) the hlyA gene and three (17.65%) harbored the st gene. All the DEC isolates were resistant to erythromycin and vancomycin; whereas, they were susceptible to ampicillin, nalidixic acid and norfloxacin. Furthermore, 64.7% of DEC isolates showed resistance to both ceftazidime and kanamycin and 88.24% of the isolates showed multidrug resistance. CONCLUSION: This study detected DEC isolates having different virulence genes, which showed single and multiple antimicrobial resistance. Given the existing poor hygienic and sanitary practices along the abattoir-to-table food chain, coupled with the habit of raw meat consumption, this result indicates a potential public and animal health risk from the pathogen and antimicrobial resistance.

Risk factors associated with contagious caprine pleuropneumonia in goats of Amhara region, Ethiopia.

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a serious contagious disease of goats, sheep and wild ruminants caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae. The disease is known for its high mortality, morbidity and economic losses. A cross-sectional study using multistage cluster sampling technique was conducted in Amhara region from January 2019 to July 2019 to estimate seroprevalence and identify risk factors of CCPP occurrence in the region. A total of 2080 goats from 61 villages and 12 districts of the region were tested for CCPP serostatus using Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (C-ELISA). A multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors of CCPP seropositivity at animal and flock-level. The serum sample results revealed an overall animal level seroprevalence of 5.1% (95% CI: 3.8-6.6) and flock-level prevalence of 26.0% (95% CI: 19.7-33.4). At individual animal level, presence of other health problems (OR = 45.9 (95% CI: 25.3-83.4)), age (adult age (OR = 6.2 (95% CI:3.4-11.4)) and old age (OR = 13.1 (95% CI: 6.2-27.8))), and breed type (Afar (OR= 32.3 (95% CI: 2.9-366.1)), Central highland (OR=13.7 (95% CI: 1.3-140.6)), and western highland (OR=16.2 (95% CI: 1.4-185.7))) were identified as risk factors for CCPP seropositivity. In contrast, contact with other flocks (OR = 59.9 (95% CI: 6.1-585.6)), presence of trade route (OR = 3.1 (95% CI: 1.0-9.1)) and presence of sheep (OR = 2.6 (95% CI: 1.2-5.7)) were flock-level risk factors for CCPP seropositivity. Generally, CCPP appears to be common among goats of Amhara region. Goat flocks dominated with older age animals; breeds of Afar, central highland, and western highland; raise with sheep; have contact with other flocks; and kept along trade routes are more at risk for CCPP. Hence, awareness creation to the producers, movement control, and regular prophylactic vaccination should be considered to control CCPP in Amhara region.

Health and economic burden of foodborne zoonotic diseases in Amhara region, Ethiopia.

Diseases from food of animal origin are common health problems in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was carried out to estimate health and economic burden, and to identify demographic factors associated with community awareness of foodborne zoonotic diseases in Amhara region, Ethiopia. Data was collected from 435 households in three towns: Gondar, Lalibela and Debark. A retrospective data was also collected from health records in each town. The health burden due to zoonotic diseases was estimated at 0.2, 0.1 and 1.3 DALYs per household per year and at 73.2, 146.6 and 1,689.5 DALYs out of 100,000 populations per year in Gondar, Lalibela and Debark, respectively. The overall health burden due to foodborne zoonotic diseases (aggregated over the 435 households in the three towns) was estimated to be 89.9 DALYs per 100,000 populations per year. The economic impact of foodborne zoonotic diseases in the three towns of Amhara regional state was 278.98 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) (1ETB = 0.025 US Dollar) per household per year and 121,355.68 ETB per year. Costs of preventive measures followed by costs of patients' time made the highest contribution while costs of diagnosis made the lowest contribution to the total economic burden of foodborne zoonotic diseases. From a total of 435 respondents, 305 (70.1%) had known the presence of zoonotic diseases. Level of education, number of families in the house and income were highly associated with awareness of zoonosis. Although majority of respondents had known zoonotic diseases exists (70.1%) and disease can be acquired from animal source food (63.2%), the health and economic burden associated to foodborne zoonotic diseases are still high. Therefore, changing mindset and practical training aiming in controlling foodborne zoonotic diseases may be suggested to the community in the health improvement extension service.

Prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and distribution of tuberculous lesions in cattle slaughtered at Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a neglected disease that affects the economy and livelihoods of farmers. However, the available data is limited due to insufficient disease surveillance in the country. Therefore; this study aimed to assess the prevalence and distribution of lesions of BTB in cattle slaughtered at Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: Postmortem examinations were used to detect tuberculous lesions, while smear microscopy and histopathology were performed for the identification of acid-fast bacilli (AFB). RESULTS: Of 497 inspected slaughtered cattle, 45 (9.1%, 95%CI; 0.0668-0.1193) were diagnosed with BTB suggestive tuberculous lesions. A higher proportion of gross lesions was recorded in lymph nodes of lungs; at the mediastinal (14, 31.1%) and bronchial (10, 22.2%) lymph nodes, and followed by mesenteric lymph nodes (9, 20%). Of 45 tuberculous lesions; only 2 (4.4%) were identified as AFB positive by smear microscopy and histopathology. In the overall statistical analysis, body conditions of slaughtered cattle were found to be significantly associated with BTB tuberculous lesions (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This finding provides the prevalence of BTB and distribution of tuberculous lesions in cattle slaughtered at the abattoir and highlights the need for a practicable control strategy of the disease in the region.

Bacteriological and molecular characterization of Mycobacterium bovis isolates from tuberculous lesions collected among slaughtered cattle, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, the distribution of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) has long been known and documented as a major problem of animal health. However, the burden of circulating M. bovis strains is poorly understood in the country. Therefore; this study aimed to identify and characterize the mycobacterial isolates responsible for BTB in Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on tuberculous lesions that had been collected from slaughtered cattle between September 2018 to June 2019. Collected lesions were cultured and tested for tuberculous bacilli. The MPT64 assay and Genotype line probe assay (LPA) were used for identification of mycobacterial isolates, and region of deletion 4 (RD4) typing and spoligotyping were used to characterize the M. bovis strains. RESULTS: Of the total 1458 examined slaughtered cattle, only 62 (4.3, 95%CI; 0.0328-0.0542) had tuberculous lesions. The highest number of gross tuberculous lesions were observed from the lymph nodes of the thoracic cavity; at the mediastinal (40.3%, 25/62) and bronchial (22.6%, 14/62) lymph nodes. Of the 62 collected tuberculous lesions; 18 (29.0%) were culture positive for mycobacterium isolates, and only five isolates were confirmed for M. tuberculosis complex (MTBc) by the MPT64 assay and LPA. All the five MTBc isolates were positive for RD4 typing of M. bovis with a PCR product size of 446 bp, and no isolate was noticed to have M. tuberculosis. The detected M. bovis strains displayed five spoligotypes; with the common SB1176 and SB0133 M. bovis strains, although the two spoligotypes had not been previously reported. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that BTB in North Gondar, Ethiopia, is caused by M. bovis strains SB1176 and SB0033, with low frequency. Thus, the finding highlights the importance of continuous surveillance for mycobacterial strains in cattle populations.

Development of an OIE Harmonized Day 1 Competency-Based Veterinary School Curriculum in Ethiopia: A Partnership Model for Curriculum Evaluation and Implementation.

The University of Gondar College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (UoG-CVMASc) and the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine (OSU-CVM) developed an objective methodology to assess the curriculum of veterinary institutions and implement changes to create a curriculum that is harmonized with OIE standards while also covering the needs and realities of Gondar and Ethiopia. The process, developed under the sponsorship of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Veterinary Education Twinning Programme, is outlined in this article with the hope that it can be applied by other countries wishing to improve national veterinary services (VS) through the improvement of their academic programs. The plan created by the UoG-OSU Twinning team consisted of an in-depth curriculum assessment and development process, which entailed three consecutive stages. Stage 1 (Curriculum Assessment) included the design and development of an Evaluation Tool for OIE Day 1 Graduating Veterinarian Competencies in recent graduates, and the mapping and evaluation of the current UoG-CVMASc curriculum based on the OIE Veterinary Education Core Curriculum. Stage 2 (Curriculum Development) consisted of the identification and prioritization of possible solutions to address identified curriculum gaps as well as the development of an action plan to revise and update the curriculum. Finally, Stage 3 (Curriculum Implementation) focused on the process to launch the new curriculum. In September 2017, 53 first-year students started the professional program at the UoG-CVMASc as the first cohort to be accepted into the newly developed OIE Harmonized Curriculum, the first of its kind in Africa.

Sero-Epidemiology of Foot and Mouth Disease in Domestic Ruminants in Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

This study involved cross-sectional serological and questionnaire-based surveys to investigate the sero-epidemiology of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in domestic ruminants, and farmers' knowledge and practices about the disease in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. A multistage cluster sampling was carried out to select domestic ruminants for serological sampling and for the interview with farmers. A total of 1,672 sera samples were collected and tested using a 3ABC-Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, and 170 farmers were interviewed. An overall FMD apparent seroprevalence of 11.48% (95% CI: 7.52-17.14%) was recorded in the domestic ruminants. The overall true prevalence was 12.04%. The seroprevalence of FMD was higher in cattle (14.37%) than in goats (7.10%) and sheep (7.07%). The age stratified seroprevalence in the districts showed that 66.67% of the districts studied experienced a FMD outbreak within the preceding year of the study time. A mixed effect logistic regression analysis revealed that agroecology, the production system and the age of the animal was significantly associated with FMD seropositivity in cattle (P < 0.05). A statistically significant (P < 0.05) positive correlation (r = 0.93) was observed between cattle and small ruminant FMD seroprevalences. About 82% of the farmers interviewed knew of FMD and 85% of them had experienced the disease in their own herds before. The farmers mostly employ traditional means to control FMD. In conclusion, the findings of the study indicated that FMD is a prevalent disease in the Amhara region with more importance in the intensive production systems and the lowlands of the region. High correlation in seroprevalence between small and large ruminants indicated a possible cross transmission between these species. Therefore, small ruminants should not be overlooked in FMD control. Farmers in the region have a good level of knowledge about the disease; however, currently they heavily rely on traditional practices primarily focused on treating wounds of infected animals. This calls for extension work on available effective preventive measures of the disease, such as vaccination and movement restriction.

Smear-Positive Tuberculosis Prevalence and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Antinatal Care in North Gondar Zone Hospitals, Ethiopia.

Tuberculosis is an ancient infectious disease that remains a threat to public health around the world. It is a contagious airborne disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. In high tuberculosis burden countries, the prevalence of tuberculosis was 10-fold higher in the HIV-infected mothers than that in those not infected with HIV. However, little is known about the burden of tuberculosis (TB) and associated factors in women of reproductive age in most resource poor countries. Therefore, this study aims to investigate prevalence of smear-positive TB and factors associated in pregnant women attending antenatal care in North West, Ethiopia. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in three governmental hospitals of the North Gondar Zone, and a total of 1272 pregnant women attending antenatal care were included. Data were collected by trained personnel's using a pretested and structured symptom screening questionnaire; then, spot-morning-spot sputum samples were collected from those pregnant women who had two or more weeks of cough, and sputum smear was done by using a light-emitted diode fluorescent microscope. 99% of the pregnant women visited the hospitals for antenatal care. The prevalence of smear-positive tuberculosis was 864/100,000 population, and HIV positivity (AOR = 7.24; 95% CI: (2.01-26.03)), urban residence (AOR = 2.28; 95% CI: (1.419-3.158)), and family history of TB (AOR = 2.12; 95% CI: (1.371-3.451)) were significantly associated with smear-positive tuberculosis. In this study, the prevalence of smear-positive tuberculosis was found to be higher than that in other community-based studies in the country. Therefore, health education, targeted screening of pregnant women for TB, and collaboration of TB-HIV clinic with antenatal care clinic should be implemented in the area. Further research should also be conducted for better understanding of the magnitude of tuberculosis in females of reproductive age.

Sero-prevalence, risk factors and distribution of sheep and goat pox in Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Sheep pox and goat pox are contagious viral diseases of sheep and goats, respectively. The diseases result in substantial economic losses due to decreased milk and meat production, damage to hides and wool, and possible trade restriction. A study was undertaken in Amhara region of Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was used to estimate the sero-prevalence and identify associated risk factors, while retrospective study design was used to assess the temporal and spatial distribution of the disease. A total of 672 serum samples were collected from 30 Kebeles and tested using virus neutralization test. RESULTS: From a total of 672 sera tested, 104 (15.5%) were positive for sheep and goat pox virus antibody; from which 56 (17%) were sheep and 48 (14%) were goats. The diseases were prevalent in all study zones, the highest sero-prevalence was observed in South Gondar (20.9%) and the lowest in North Gondar and West Gojjam zones (11.9% each). From the potential risk factors considered (species, sex, age, agro-ecology and location); only sex and age were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the diseases in multivariable logistic regression. Female and young animals were at higher risk than their counterparts. From January 2010 to December 2014, a total of 366 outbreaks, 12,822 cases and 1480 deaths due to SP and 182 outbreaks, 10,066 cases and 997 deaths due to GP were recorded in Amhara National Regional State. CONCLUSION: Both the serological and the outbreak data revealed that sheep and goat pox is one of the most prevalent and widespread diseases of sheep and goats in the study area. Hence, annual mass vaccination program must be implemented for economic and viable control of sheep and goat pox diseases in the Amhara region in particular and at a national level in general.

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of listeria species from ready-to-eat foods of animal origin in Gondar Town, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Listeriosis, mostly caused by Listeria monocytogenes species, has become a major concern to public health authorities due to its clinical severity and high mortality rate, particularly in high risk groups. Currently, there is limited information regarding the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of listeria species in ready-to-eat foods of animal origin in Gondar town, Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Listeria species isolated from ready-to-eat food of animal origin from public dinning places in Gondar town, Ethiopia. A cross sectional study on ready-toeat foods of animal origin sampled from major supermarkets, butcher shops, pastry shops, restaurants and hotels was carried out. Culture, biochemical and sugar tests were conducted for listeria species identification and disc diffusion test was performed to study the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of the isolates. RESULTS: Out of 384 food samples examined, 96 (25%) were positive for Listeria species. Listeria monocytogenes was detected in 24 (6.25%) of the samples. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from cake, raw meat, ice cream, minced beef, fish, unpasteurized milk and pizza in that order from higher to lower rate. Assessment of antimicrobial susceptibility profile of L. monocytogenes revealed the presence of four multi-drug resistant isolates. The higher resistance rate was recorded for penicillin, nalidixic acid, tetracycline and chloramphenicol, in decreasing order. All L. monocytogenes identified in the current study were sensitive to amoxicillin, cephalothin, cloxacillin, sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin and vancomycin. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of L. monocytogenes including drug resistant and multidrug resistant isolates in some ready-to-eat food items is an indicator of the presence of public health hazards to the consumer, particularly to the high-risk groups. Hence awareness creation on food safety and implementation of regulations about the use of drugs in humans and animals is strongly recommended.