Knowledge, attitude and practice on prevention and control of pulmonary tuberculosis index cases family in Shebedino District, Sidama Region, Ethiopia.

Introduction: Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death, despite being a largely curable and preventable disease. The goals of TB control are to reduce infection transmission, morbidity, and mortality until TB cannot be a threat to public health any longer while preventing drug resistance. Assessing KAP on TB control and prevention among family members is more essential, and taking action based on the result can break the transmission of TB infection. Methods: From August to September 2022, a community-based cross-sectional study method was used. A total of 422 participants were selected from a list of sample frames who were family members of PTB patients who had used anti-TB medication in the previous 12 months prior to the study period using a systematic random sampling method. SPSS version 25 software was used to analyze the data. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine variables related to KAP on TB prevention and control. A variable with p-values less than 0.25 was included in the multivariable logistic regression model to find independent determinant factors. In the multivariate logistic regression, variables with p-values ≤0.05 were identified as statistically significant. Result: A total of 414 family members responded to the survey questionnaire. The average knowledge score on TB was 17.11 ± 6.34. The majority (51.9%) of respondents had a good knowledge of TB cases. One-third of those polled had an unfavorable attitude towards PTB prevention, with a mean score of 3.16 ± 1.78 and 55.1% had good practice in preventing tuberculosis. Marital status (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.5-2.5) was an independent predictor of knowledge. Practice level is independently affected by occupation (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI = (1.7-8.7)) and health education on PTB (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI = (1.6-3.9). Conclusion: Knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices about tuberculosis were not satisfactory when compared to several national and international studies. It is necessary to strengthen the program for health education and awareness-building on PTB.

Prevalence, drug-susceptibility pattern and associated factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among prisoners in western Arsi zonal prisons, Oromia, South West Ethiopia.

Objectives: Each year, tuberculosis (TB) in prisons is a major worldwide health concern that results in millions of diseases. It is particularly prevalent in low socio-economic countries like Ethiopia because of the poverty, overcrowding, starvation, lack of access to basic healthcare services, and high prevalence of HIV infection in these countries. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 259 prisoners was carried out in the western Arsi zonal prison from November to January 2021. The sputum samples were taken from suspected TB patients and evaluated using the Gene Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampcine test. Line probe assay was used to assess the molecular drug susceptibility of isolates from positive sputum. A bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was analyzed using SPSS version 24 packages. Odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% CI were used to quantify the degrees of association between target potential risk factors and Mycobacterium tuberculosis positivity. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of undiagnosed pulmonary TB (PTB) verified positive cases was 5.4% (95% CI 2.7, 8.5) out of 259 research participants that were recruited in this study. One (0.38%) occurrence of mono-drug resistance to isoniazid was found among them. In this study, variables that were significantly linked with PTB positive were age ≥30 years, smoking (adjusted OR [AOR] = 0.087, 95% CI = 0.01-0.93, P = 0.043), body mass index 18.5 kg/m2, cough duration 4 weeks (AOR = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.1-0.13 P = 0.001), and coughing before incarceration (AOR = 6.2, 95% CI = 3.6-10.59, P = 0.004). Conclusion: In West Arsi zonal prisons, PTB and mono-drug resistance for isoniazid were found to be more common than in the general population.

Nasopharyngeal Carriage Rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Related Risk Factors, and Antibiotic Susceptibility Among Inmates in Hawassa Central Prison Institute: Hawassa, Sidama National Region, Ethiopia.

Background: The bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae commonly causes severe bacterial illnesses in both children and adults. S. pneumoniae is the most fatal bacterial pathogen, causing 50% of the deaths from lower respiratory infections in people of all ages. Objectives: This study was aimed to determine a nasopharyngeal carriage rate of S. pneumoniae, related risk factors, and antibiotic susceptibility among prisoners in Hawassa Central Prison Institute Hawassa, Ethiopia. Methods: From July to August 2021, a cross-sectional investigation was carried out in Hawassa prison. All randomly chosen adult volunteers were a part of the study. In this study, about 330 different people were included. Within 3 h of collection, the swab specimen was inoculated onto 5% sheep blood agar; the inoculated medium was then incubated for 18-24 h at 35-37 °C in a CO2-enriched environment. Following incubation, the S. pneumoniae colonies were suspected, but the usual colony shape, alpha-hemolysis, Gram staining, optochin susceptibility, and bile solubility test allowed for confirmation. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute's guidelines. Results: Overall carriage rate of S. pneumoniae among adult individuals were 41 (12.7%). The carriage rate of S. pneumoniae was affected by age classes that 39-48 years (OR = 4.82, 95%CI = 1.49-15.56, p = .009), 49-58 years (OR = 5.27, 95%CI = 1.27-21.89, p = .022), and greater than 58 years (OR = 4.36, 95%CI = 1.13-16.90, p = .033); cigarette smoking (OR = 3.41, 95%CI = 1.16-10.01, p = .026); and sharing beds (OR = 3.91, 95%CI = 1.27-12.07, p = .018). The majority of the isolates are susceptible for clindamycin (87.8%) and resistant for chloramphenicol (56%). Multidrug resistance was observed in 36.7%. Conclusions: The overall carriage rate of S. pneumoniae was 12.7%. Age, cigarette smoking, and sharing beds in the same prison room had a substantial impact on this nasopharyngeal carriage rate. Chloramphenicol (56%), erythromycin (41.5%), tetracycline (39%), and co-trimoxazole (34.1%) resistance were seen in the majority of S. pneumoniae isolates. Early detection, hygiene maintenance, and appropriate treatment are necessary.

Prevalence, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern and Associated Factors of Group B Streptococcus Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Bule Hora University Teaching Hospital, Southern Ethiopia.

Background: In many parts of the world, Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of maternal and neonatal illness and mortality. It has a negative impact on neonatal and pregnancy outcomes. A worrisome problem in Ethiopia is the unknown rate of antibiotic resistance and the risk factors connected to GBS infections. Objective: This study was to determine the prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility pattern, and related variables of Group B Streptococcus among pregnant women receiving prenatal treatment conducted at Bule Hora University Teaching Hospital, Southern Ethiopia, between June 1 and August 30, 2022. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 213 pregnant women attending antenatal care at Bule Hora University Teaching Hospital. Data on sociodemographic and related factors were gathered using structured questionnaires. The study's participants were selected using the consecutive sampling method. The lower vaginal/rectum area was brushed with a sterile cotton swab to capture the vaginal/rectum swab sample, which was then examined using microbiological techniques. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used to assess antibiotic susceptibility in GBS isolates. Logistic regression analysis was performed on the data using SPSS version 26. It was deemed statistically significant when the p-value was 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The overall prevalence of GBS was 16.9% (CI: 0.12-0.23). A history of prematurity of the membrane (AOR: 3.35, 95% CI: 1.19-9.45), a history of stillbirth (AOR: 2.88, 95% CI: 1.07-7.71), and preterm delivery history (AOR: 3.41, 95% CI: 1.31-8.89) (p 0.05) were independent predictors of GBS infection. Cefepime had the highest resistance at 58.3%. Most GBS isolates showed high susceptibility to vancomycin (97.2%) and ampicillin (91.7%). Multidrug resistance was 13.9%. Conclusion: The prevalence of GBS was considerably high among pregnant women in this study. This finding emphasises the need for routine screening and testing of antimicrobial susceptibility to provide antibiotic prophylaxis and minimise newborn infection and comorbidity.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care At Public Hospitals in Borena Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the major threats to global health, affecting millions of people each year and causing morbidity and mortality. The risk of acquiring chronic HVV infection varies with age, with 90% of infections acquired during the perinatal period. Despite many studies, there is little evidence of this virus in the Borena Zone. Objectives: This study was done to assess seroprevalence HBVinfection and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at selected Borena Zone public hospitals from June 1 to September 30, 2022. Methods: A cross-institutional study was conducted on 368 randomly selected pregnant women who received antenatal care at Yabelo General Hospital and Moyale Primary Hospital. Data on sociodemographic and HBV-related factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. A 5 mL blood sample is then taken and tested using a diagnostic method, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Finally, data were entered using Epidata version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 and Stata version 14 for analysis. Independent predictors were identified using logistic regression analysis and P < .05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of HBV infection was 21 (5.7%) (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.74-8.61). History of hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.44, 95% CI, 1.07-11.09), traditional tonsillectomy (AOR = 4.16, 95% CI, 1.29-13.40), history of sexually transmitted infection (AOR = 5.99, 95% CI, 1.81-19.85), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (AOR = 8.28, 95% CI, 1.66-41.41), and alcohol drinking (AOR = 5.08, 95% CI, 1.49-17.31) were independent predictors of HBV infection. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate a moderate prevalence of HBV in selected public hospitals in the Borena Zone. History of hospitalization, traditional tonsillectomy, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and alcohol use was significantly associated with HBV infection. Therefore, there is a need to conduct health education and more community-based research on disease transmission routes.

Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus infection and associated factors among female sex workers using respondent-driven sampling in Hawassa City, Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Female sex workers (FSWs) are a marginalized group notoriously having limited healthcare access and poor-quality care. Inevitably, they are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections including hepatitis B virus. However; Hepatitis B virus infection is one of the most serious infections and major public health problem considered to be at soaring risk for transmission and acquisition of the infection. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of HBV infections among FSWs in southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November to February 2019 at Hawassa city in ISHDO confidential clinic among 383 FSWs. Respondent-driven consecutive sampling was used to select study participants using a standardized questionnaire. Blood sample was collected and viral surface antigen was detected using ELISA from separated serum. Data were entered to SPSS version 21.0. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used. RESULT: The overall prevalence of FSWs who were tested for HBV using ELISA was 35(9.2%) (95% CI: 6.3-12.1). Among 381 FSWs 249(65.4%) were stayed for 2-5 years in sexual work and 240(63%) of them were used condom consistently during sexual practice. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, FSWs who didn't use condom were six and two times more risk full to acquire HBV than those who used condom commonly (AOR = 6.38, CI 2.04-18.51) and condom breakage (AOR = 2.10, CI 1.95-4.65), during sexual practice respectively. Similarly, use of stimulants (AOR = 3.25, CI 1.59-18.63), previous history of STI (AOR = 2.15, CI 1.02-6.93), genital ulcer (AOR = 4.64, CI 1.31-11.35), number of sexual partners (AOR = 3.25, CI 1.59-7.47), sex during menses (AOR = 5.85, CI (1.29-21.44), sexual assault (AOR = 2.93, CI 1.23-9.01), sharp material sharing, (AOR = 4.98, CI 1.34-10.95) and history of abortion, (AOR = 2.46, CI 1.18, 12.19), were statistically associated with HBV infection. Factors such as age, residence, and alcohol consumption were not associated with HBV infection. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HBV infection in this study was relatively high compared to the general population. Factors like sociodemographic, behavioral, and previous history-related information were associated with HBV infection shows the need for ongoing screening of high-risk population to inform planning for vaccination and preventive measures.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Virus and Associated Factors Among Female Sex Workers Using Respondent-Driven Sampling in Hawassa City, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Female sex workers (FSWs) are a marginalized group having limited healthcare access and poor-quality care. Inevitably, they are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections including hepatitis B virus. It is one of the most serious and major public health problems, with an increased risk of transmission and acquisition of the infection. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of HBV infection among FSWs in southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November to February 2019 at Hawassa city among ISHDO confidential clinics among 383 FSWs using respondent-driven consecutive sampling techniques to select study participants using a standardized questionnaire. The blood samples were collected to detect viral surface antigen using ELISA. Data were entered into SPSS version 21. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis was used. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of HBV was 35 (9.2%) (95% CI=6.3-12.1). Among 381 FSWs, 249 (65.4%) of them had stayed for 2-5 years in sexual work. A total of 240 (63%) of them used condoms consistently during sexual practice. In multivariate analysis, FSWs who did not use a condom during sexual practice were 6-times more at risk than those who used a condom (AOR=6.38, CI=2.04-18.51). Condom breakage (AOR=2.10, CI=1.95-4.65), use of stimulants (AOR=3.25, CI=1.59-18.63), history of STI (AOR=2.15, CI=1.02-6.93), and genital ulcer (AOR=4.64, CI=1.31-11.35), number of sexual partners (AOR=3.25, CI=1.59-7.47), sex during menses (AOR=5.85, CI=1.29-21.44), sexual assault (AOR=2.93, CI=1.23-9.01), sharp material sharing (AOR=4.98, CI=1.34-10.95), and history of abortion (AOR=2.46, CI=1.18-12.19) were statistically associated with HBV infection. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HBV infection in this study was relatively high compared to the general population. Factors like sociodemographic, behavioral, and previous information were associated with HBV infection. There is a need for ongoing screening of this high-risk population to inform planning for vaccination and preventive measures.

Erectile dysfunction and associated factors among diabetic patients at, Hawassa, Southern, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Erectile dysfunction is an inability to initiate and have a persistent erection firm enough to have satisfying sexual intercourse. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction in diabetic men is considerably high, but it is often underdiagnosed and under-managed. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine erectile dysfunction and associated factors among diabetic patients at, Hawassa, Southern, Ethiopia. METHODS: The institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 352 adult male diabetic patients randomly selected from Adare general and Hawassa comprehensive specialized hospitals using a simple random sampling technique. The number of patients to be selected from each hospital was proportionally assigned based on the total population of diabetes mellitus patients following chronic care during the study period. The descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regressions (bivariate and multivariate analysis) were carried out. RESULT: The prevalence of erectile dysfunction was 72.2% (95%CI, 1.76-3.68). After adjusting all factors, old age, diabetes duration, drinking alcohol, and poor glycemic control had shown significant association with erectile dysfunction. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of erectile dysfunction in this study community is very high. Drinking alcohol, poor glycemic control, age, and duration of diabetes were predictors of erectile dysfunction in this study area. Assessment and management of erectile dysfunction in the diabetic clinic should be part of routine medical care during follow-up visits with diabetic patients. Healthcare providers should emphasize screening and treating older patients and those who have had a diabetes diagnosis for a longer duration.

Magnitude of Cryptococcosis among HIV patients in sub-Saharan Africa countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcus is encapsulated opportunistic yeast that causes life threatening meningoencephalitis of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The magnitude of Cryptococcosis among HIV patients varies from 1-10% in Western countries as opposed to almost a one third of HIV-infected individuals in sub-Saharan Africa where it is associated with high mortality. METHODOLOGY: By using key terms "Cryptococcosis among HIV patients in sub-saharan Africa countries", articles that published in different journals from 2010-2017 searched on Pub-Med and Google scholar database. Those freely accessible and included the prevalence of Cryptococcosis in the result section, their PDF file was downloaded and the result extracted manually and presented in table. Articles that did not report the prevalence of Cryptococcosis, with a study design otherthan cross sectional, or a sample size less than 100, and those duplicated in the same study area and period by the same authors were excluded. The article selection followed the PRISMA guidelines and meta- analysis was performed using OpenMeta(analyst). RESULTS: The overall pooled magnitude of Cryptococcosis among HIV patients in sub saharan African countries was 8.3% (95%CI 6.1-10.5%). The highest prevalence was from Uganda (19%) and the least was from Ethiopia at 1.6%. There was 87.2 % of substantial heterogeneity among the studies with p-value<0.001. The symmetry ofthe forest plot showed that there was little publication bias. The most commonly used method for diagnosis of Cryptococcosis was lateral flow assay and latex agglutination test and culture was the least method employed. CONCLUSION: The overall pooled magnitude of Cryptococcosisis high among HIV patients in sub-Saharan African countries. The studies showed substantial heterogeneity, and little publication bias. Most of the studies relied on LFA & LA that showed the scarcity of facilities for fungal culture. Therefore, paying attention to screening HIV patients; those with signs and symptoms of meningitis may help to reduce the loss of HIV patients.

Prevalence of active trachoma and associated factors among children aged 1 to 9 years in rural communities of Lemo district, southern Ethiopia: community based cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Trachoma, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading infectious cause of blindness. It is transmitted via personal contact with infected ocular and nasal secretions by hands, fomites and eye- seeking flies. Active trachoma is more common among children aged 1 to 9 years. The objective of this study was determining the prevalence of active trachoma and associated factors among children aged 1 to 9 years in rural community of Lemo district. METHODS: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April, 2018 in rural community of Lemo district. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 589 study participants. Data were collected by using structured pre-tested questionnaire, physical examination and observation. Binocular loupe was used to identify active trachoma cases. The data were entered by using EPi-data version 3.1 and analyzed by SPSS. Binary logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with active trachoma. Variables with p-value < 0.05 in the multivariable analysis were used to declare significance of association. RESULT: Eighty seven (15.2%) children were positive for active trachoma. Absence of solid waste disposal pit (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI (1.12-4.37), do not use latrine as reported by respondent (AOR = 7.53, 95% CI (2.86-19.84), do not use soap for face washing as reported by respondent (AOR =2.3, 95% CI (1.32-4.12), washing face frequency as reported by respondent (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI (1.06-3.26), and family size greater than five (AOR = 1.96, 95% CI (1.06-3.67) were significantly associated with active trachoma. CONCLUSION: Active trachoma among children aged 1 to 9 years is high. Do not use latrine, do not use soap for face washing, and face washing frequency in a day as reported by respondents and family size were associated with active trachoma. Access to adequate water and sanitation can be important components in working towards eliminating trachoma as a public health problem. Therefore, prompt measures must be taken by concerned bodies to increase access to adequate water and sanitation facilities.

Asymptomatic pharyngeal carriage rate of Streptococcus pyogenes, its associated factors and antibiotic susceptibility pattern among school children in Hawassa town, southern Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the asymptomatic pharyngeal carriage rate of S. pyogenes, antimicrobial pattern and related risk factors among school children in Hawassa, southern Ethiopia. RESULTS: Out of 287 school children's screened, 35 (12.2%) were colonized with S. pyogenes. The carriage rate was significantly associated with factors such as sex (female p = 0.013) occupational status of mother (p = 0.002), lower income source (500-900 ETB, 1000-1500 ETB) (p = 0.001, and p = 0.042), history of hospitalization (p = 0.00) and residence of the children (p = 0.002). High level resistant to tetracycline and low level to vancomycin were observed, while penicillin, amoxicillin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, and ceftriaxone were found to be effective.

Magnitude of hepatitis B and C virus infections and associated factors among patients scheduled for surgery at Hawassa University comprehensive specialized Hospital, Hawassa City, southern Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of HBV and HCV infection and its associated factors among surgical patients at Hawassa University comprehensive specialized Hospital Hawassa City, southern Ethiopia. RESULT: In this study, the prevalence of HBsAg and Anti-HCV among patients scheduled for surgery were 9% and 5.5%, respectively. Patients who practiced multiple sexual partner (AOR = 2.58, CI 1.18-5.61), dental procedure (AOR = 4.20, CI 1.87-9.55) and blood transfusion (AOR = 3.84, CI 1.27-11.65) had higher odds of HBV infection and those who had history of surgical procedure (AOR = 6.05: 95% CI 1.59-23.04) and dental procedure (AOR = 3.70: 95% CI 1.40-9.77) had higher odds of HCV infection.

Knowledge about cervical cancer screening and its practice among female health care workers in southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among the women in the world. Early screening for cervical cancer is a key intervention in reduction of maternal deaths. Health care workers have a significant contribution to improve cervical cancer screening practice among women. Hence, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of cervical cancer screening among female health care workers in southern Ethiopia. METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted during March and April, 2015. All hospitals in Hawassa city administration and Sidama zone were purposively selected. A simple random sampling technique was used to draw the health centers. After proportional allocations to their respective health facilities, a total of 367 female health workers were selected by simple random sampling technique. A structured and pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were entered to SPSS version 20.0 for further analysis. Logistic regression analyses were used to see the association of different variables. RESULTS: Out of the total respondents, 319 (86.9%) had a good level of knowledge on cervical cancer. Similarly, a majority of them, 329 (89.6%), 321 (87.5%), and 295 (80.4%), knew about the risk factors, symptoms, and outcomes of cervical cancer, respectively. More than two thirds of the respondents, 283 (77.1%), knew that there is a procedure used to detect premalignant cervical lesions and 138 (37.6%) of them mentioned visual inspection with acetic acid as a screening method. In this study, only 42 (11.4%) of the respondents were screened for cervical cancer (confidence interval [CI]: 8.7, 13.9). Being a physician (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =0.12, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.79) and working in a cervical cancer screening center (AOR =0.14, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.68) had a lower odds of cervical cancer screening practices. CONCLUSIONS: Significant numbers of health care workers were knowledgeable on cervical cancer. Cervical cancer screening among health care workers in southern Ethiopia was found to be low. Being a physician and working in a screening center had lower odds of cervical cancer screening practice. In spite of having adequate knowledge on cervical cancer the reasons for low practice of cervical cancer screening among health care workers needs to be investigated.

Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and its related risk factors in symptomatic patients in southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is the main etiology of peptic ulcers and chronic gastritis. Various studies showed that blood type 'O' is more common among patients with peptic ulcer. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of H. pylori antibodies and its relationship with ABO/Rhesus blood groups, age, sex and residence of symptomatic patients in southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a total of 408 consecutive patients with upper abdominal complaints at Hawassa University Hospital from October 2012 to January 2013. Data on demographic factors was collected from all participants using questionnaires. Blood samples were also collected and tested for ABO and Rh blood group phenotype using hemagglutination test and for anti-H. pylori antibody (IgG) using two different ELISAs.. RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence of H. pylori infection was 83.3% (340/408), and it was significantly higher in rural (71.2%) compared to urban residents (28.8%) (p=0.008). Participants with blood group AB, A, O, B, and Rh positive had H. pylori prevalence of 88.9, 84.2, 83.7, 80.9, and 83.5%, respectively. H. pylori infection was not significantly influenced by age, sex, occupation, educational status and ABO/ Rh status (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The high seroprevalence of H. pylori infection especially among rural residents calls for immediate intervention measures so that its clinical consequences could be minimized. ABO/Rh blood group was not found to be associated with H. pylori infection.

Antibiotic-resistance Staphylococcus aureus isolated from cow's milk in the Hawassa area, South Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Quarter milk samples from cows were examined to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and different antibiotic resistant pattern were determined in a cross-sectional study design. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to isolate Staphylococcus aureus from samples of cow's milk obtained from Hawassa area and to determine their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. METHOD: A total of 160 milk (CCP1-CCP5) samples were collected and screened for the presence of S. aureus. Gram staining, oxidase, catalase, DNase, haemolysis and coagulase tests were employed for bacterial identification. RESULTS: All the samples were contaminated with S. aureus. A total of 78 S. aureus isolates were obtained during this study. The levels of contamination with S. aureus were higher in milk obtained from CCP1, CCP2, CCP3, CCP4 and CCP5 at Hawassa area farms (18.0%, 25.6%, 27.0%, 21.8% and 7.7%) respectively. A large percentage of the S. aureus isolates (25.6% and 27.0%) were from CCP2 and CCP3. All strains were resistant to Penicillin G (PG) (10 µg), Ampicillin (AP) (10 µg), Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid (AC) (30 µg), Ciprofloxacin (CIP) (5 µg), Erythromycin (E) (15 µg), Ceftriaxone (CRO) (30 µg), Trimethoprime-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) (25 µg) Oxacillin (Ox) (1 µg) and Vancomycin (V) (30 µg), 67.9%, 70.9%, 30.9%, 0%, 32.1%, 23.1%, 7.7%, 60.3% and 38.5% respectively. CONCLUSION: The proportion of isolates resistant to CIP, TMP-SMZ, CRO, AC, E and V were low compared to AP, PG and Ox. S. aureus is normally resident in humans; therefore, the S. aureus present in the cow's milk may have resulted from transmission between the two species, emphasizing the need to improve sanitary conditions in the milking environment.

Relationship between total lymphocyte count (TLC) and CD4 count among peoples living with HIV, Southern Ethiopia: a retrospective evaluation.

BACKGROUND: CD4 count is a standard measure of immunodeficiency in adults infected with HIV to initiate and monitor highly active antiretroviral therapy; however, it may not be feasible in resource poor countries. There is a need to have another marker of immunodeficiency that is less resource demanding. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between total lymphocyte count and CD4 count in one of the resource poor countries, Ethiopia. METHODS: This was a retrospective evaluation. A total of 2019 cases with total lymphocyte and CD4 counts from three hospitals (Yirgalem, Hossana and Arba-Minch) were included in the study. Pearson correlation, linear regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) were used. RESULT: For adults, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of TLC < 1200 cells/mm3 to predict CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3 were 41%, 83.5%, 87.9% and 32.5%, respectively. For subjects aged less than 18 years, these values were 20.2%, 87%, 82% and 27.1%, respectively. A TLC