Prevalence and associated risk factors of soil-transmitted helminth infections among schoolchildren in Mekan Eyesus town, northwestern Ethiopia.

Background: Little attention has been paid to determining the prevalence and associated factors of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections in some developing countries. This study was, therefore, carried out to determine the prevalence and associated factors of STH infections among schoolchildren attending three primary schools in Mekane Eyesus town, northwestern Ethiopia. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2023 in Mekane Eyesus town. Stool samples were collected from 401 children from three primary schools in the town. Wet-mount and formol ether concentration techniques were used to diagnose stool samples, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors for STH infections. Results: The overall prevalence of STH infection in this study was 18.2 % (73/401). The most common helminth species detected was Ascaris lumbricoides (A. lumbricoides) (7.5 % (30/401)). Not trimming fingernails regularly (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.75, 95 % CI = 1.87-7.50), having illiterate fathers (AOR = 2.29, 95 % CI = 1.18-4.44), and being aged 15-17 years (AOR = 2.37, 95 % CI = 1.06-5.30) were associated with increased odds of STH infection. Children who wash their hands after defecation (AOR = 0.43, 95 % CI = 0.21-0.88) and those whose mothers were housewives (AOR = 0.22, 95 % CI = 0.08-0.58) had lower odds of STH infection. Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of STH infection among schoolchildren in Mekane Eyesus town. Thus, STH infection preventive measures, including deworming of schoolchildren, should be implemented in the study area. Moreover, giving health-related knowledge about STH infection prevention strategies, such as regular fingernail trimming and hand washing after defecating, is vital for reducing the prevalence of STH infections in the study area.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B, C, and its associated risk factors among clinically suspected patients attending poly and Maraki Health Centers, Gondar City, North West Ethiopia.

Background: Hepatitis B and C viruses are major global health problems with a high mortality rate, mostly due to serious liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of the hepatitis B and C viruses and associated risk factors among clinically suspected patients attending Poly and Maraki Health Centers in Gondar City. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit 422 clinically suspected patients attending Poly and Maraki Health Centers between June and August 2020. The blood sample was tested for hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-Hepatitis C virus antibodies using commercially available rapid test kits. We used logistic regression and chi-square analysis to assess factors associated with Hepatitis B virus and Hepatitis C virus infections. Results: The overall prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-Hepatitis C virus antibodies was 29 (6.9%) and 5 (1.2%), respectively. The prevalence of Hepatitis B virus and Hepatitis C virus was found to be significantly higher at Maraki Health Center. Multiple sexual partners (adjusted odd ratio (AOR = 12.299; 95% CI = 2.515-60.142), history of delivery by traditional birth attendants (AOR = 6.284; 95% CI = 2.373-16.637), surgical history (AOR = 3.679; 95% CI = 1.009-13.417), previous hepatitis infections (AOR = 10.374; 95% CI = 1.128-95.444), and upper abdominal pain (AOR = 3.382; 95% CI = 1.215-9.414) were significantly associated with an increased risk of Hepatitis B virus infections. On the other hand, a history of blood transfusion (AOR = 43.132; 95% CI = 1.385-1343.176) and a history of kidney dialysis (AOR = 71.199; 95% CI = 2.074-2444.646) were significantly associated with Hepatitis C virus infection. Conclusions: According to the WHO endemicity classification, the prevalence of the hepatitis B virus was intermediate, while that of the hepatitis C virus was low. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the efforts to control and prevent Hepatitis B virus and Hepatitis C virus infections.

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated risk factors among patients attending Debarq Primary Hospital, northwest Ethiopia.

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are major public health problems in developing countries. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of IPIs at Debarq Primary Hospital in northwest Ethiopia. A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2022 to June 2022. The study participants were recruited from patients who visited Debarq Primary Hospital during the study period. Stool samples were collected from each participant and examined for intestinal parasites using direct wet-mount and formal-ether concentration techniques. Socio-demographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Out of 422 individuals examined, 33.64% were infected with at least one intestinal parasite species. Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Giardia intestinalis, Ascaris lumbricoides, and hookworm were found in 12.79%, 8.53%, 7.10%, and 1.65% of the participants, respectively. Double and triple parasite infections were found in 2.37% and 0.23% of the participants, respectively. A habit of eating unwashed vegetables (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 9.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.68-37.14) and low income (AOR = 6.66, 95% CI = 1.87-23.70) were associated with increased odds of IPIs. Participants with a habit of hand washing after using the toilet had 0.05 (95% CI = 0.13-0.22) lower odds of IPIs than those who did not. In conclusion, IPIs are common among Debarq Primary Hospital patients and are associated with factors such as low income, not washing hands after using the toilet, and eating unwashed vegetation, necessitating control and prevention efforts in the study area that include health education and the provision and use of sanitary facilities.

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Rifampicin Resistance Using GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay at Enat Hospital, Central Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis remains to be a public health threat in Ethiopia. However, the use of ill diagnostic methods and the lack of enough epidemiological information in the country contributed to the diagnostic delay and development of anti-TB drug resistance. Therefore, the present study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of pulmonary TB (PTB) and the development of drug resistance using GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay in Merhabete district, Central Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional, health facility-based study was conducted from December 2019 to June 2020. Bacteriological examination and GeneXpert molecular diagnostic methods were used for the detection of M. tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance (RR). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to determine the possible association of risk factors with the occurrence of PTB and RR. P values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The overall prevalence rates of PTB and RR M. tuberculosis were 11.2% and 15.8%, respectively. The logistic regression analysis revealed that being in the age group of 49-64 years was significantly associated with the occurrence of TB (P = 0.01). The odds of HIV-positive and retreatment study participants to be infected by M. tuberculosis were much more than those of HIV-negative and newly treated cases, respectively (P < 0.05). However, none of the sociodemographic and clinical patient characteristics was significantly associated with the development of RR-TB (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the present study, high prevalence rates of PTB and RR M. tuberculosis were observed. The findings, which were attributed to different risk factors, suggested an urgent need for appropriate intervention measures to reduce the transmission of PTB and the development of anti-TB drug resistance in the study area.

Prevalence of Intestinal Protozoan Parasites and Associated Risk Factors among School Children in Merhabete District, Central Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal protozoan parasitic infections remain one of the major public health problems in tropical regions especially, among developing countries such as Ethiopia. However, no enough epidemiological data is available in this respect in many parts of the country. Hence, this study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasitic infections and their associated risk factors among school children in Zeita village, Merhabete District, North Shewa Zone, Central Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional parasitological survey was conducted from January to March 2020. A total of 280 children from Zeita primary school were selected using stratified random sampling techniques. Stool samples were collected and examined using direct wet mount, Formal-Ether concentration and Modified Zeihel-Neelsen staining techniques. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasitic infection was found to be 46.8% (131/280). The three predominant protozoan parasites detected in this study were Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and Cryptosporidium parvum which were observed in 70 (25.2%), 54 (19.3%), and 7 (2.5%) of the study participants, respectively. Sociodemographic characteristics of the study subjects such as family occupation (P = 0.028), sources of drinking water (P = 0.001), water handling practice (P = 0.027), habit of eating vegetable (P = 0.001), and presence of latrine were observed to be significantly associated risk factors for the occurrence of human intestinal protozoan parasites. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasitic infection which has been contributed by different risk factors was revealed in this study. The findings suggested a need of collaborative effort among the educational and health authorities to control the infection in the study area.

Tuberculosis at Farmer-Cattle Interface in the Rural Villages of South Gondar Zone of Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) has been an important public health concern in Ethiopia, particularly at areas of human-animal intersection. However, limited epidemiological information is available in this respect in the country. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the transmission of TB at human-cattle interface, associated risk factors and public awareness about the disease at South Gondar Zone, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted between March 2015 and April 2018 on 186 farmers and 476 cattle in South Gondar Zone, northwest Ethiopia. Bacteriological examination, region of difference (RD) 9-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single intradermal comparative tuberculin test (SICTT), and questionnaire were used for undertaking this study. RESULTS: Culture positivity in farmers was 59.7% (111/186) and all the culture positive isolates were M. tuberculosis. About 68% (74/111) of culture positive respondents did not know about the transmission of TB from cattle to human or vice versa. The animal and herd prevalence of bovine TB were 1.5% (7/476) and 7.4% (7/95), respectively. Although the result was not statistically significant, the odds of bovine TB in cattle owned by TB positive households was slightly higher than those owned by TB free households (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 1.39; 95% CI: 0.31-7.10; p = 0.76). CONCLUSION: Although SIDCTT reactivity was slightly higher in cattle owned by TB positive households, all the human isolates were M. tuberculosis and no M. bovis was isolated from farmers, which could be due to the low prevalence of bovine TB in the area.

Smear positive tuberculosis and genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis isolates in individuals visiting health facilities in South Gondar Zone, northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial infectious disease, continues to be a public health concern in many developing countries. However, lack of data concerning the public health burden and potential risk factors for the disease hampers control programs in target areas. Therefore, the aims of present study were to determine the prevalence of TB and genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis isolates from individuals visiting health facilities in South Gondar Zone, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectonal study was conducted between March 2015 and April 2017. Bacteriological examination, region of difference (RD) 9 based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and spoligotyping were used. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of all smear positive TB was 6.3% (186/2953). Extra pulmonary TB (EPTB) was clinically characterized in about 62.4% (116/186) TB-positive cases. Some demographic characteristics, such as patients' origin (districts where patients were recruited) [patients' origin (chi-square (χ2) value; 62.8,p<0.001) were found to be significantly associated risk factors for the occurrence of TB in the study area. All the mycobacterial isolates were found to be M. tuberculosis. Among the 35 different spoligotype patterns identified, 22 patterns were shared types.The three dominantly identified families were T, CAS and Manu, each consisting of 46.9%, 24.0% and 10.4% of the isolates, respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that TB continues to be a public health problem in South Gondar Zone which suggests a need of implementing effective disease control strategies.

Molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis sensitivity to rifampicin and isoniazid in South Gondar Zone, northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) has become a persistent health threat in Ethiopia. In this respect, baseline data are scarce in many parts of high TB burden regions including the different zones of Ethiopia. METHODS: A total of 111 culture positive M. tuberculosis isolates were recovered from TB patients and identified using region of difference (RD) 9 based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and spoligotyping. Thereafter, their drug sensitivities to Rifampicin (RIF) and Isoniazid (INH) were evaluated using GenoType MTBDRplus assay. RESULTS: The result showed that 18.0% (20/111) of the isolates were resistant to either RIF or INH. Furthermore, 16.7 and 23.8% of the isolates from new and retreatment cases were resistant to any of the two anti-TB drugs, respectively. Multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB was detected on 1.8% (2/111) of all cases. Significantly higher frequencies of any drug resistance were observed among Euro-American (EA) major lineage (χ2: 9.67; p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Considerably high proportion of drug resistant M. tuberculosis strains was detected which could suggest a need for an increased effort to strengthen TB control program in the study area.

Prevalence of malaria in Woreta town, Amhara region, Northwest Ethiopia over eight years.

BACKGROUND: Data on trends in malaria prevalence is significant to assist efforts in the control and prevention of the disease. This retrospective study was, therefore, aimed to determine the prevalence of malaria in Woreta town, northwestern Ethiopia over 8 years. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in Woreta town, northwestern Ethiopia, from November to January 2013. Eight years (2005 to 2012) health center record of malaria cases was reviewed. Odds ratio (OR) was used to determine trend in malaria prevalence with respect to age, sex and Plasmodium species. P-values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: From 2005 to 2012, a total of 102,520 suspected cases of malaria were reported at Woreta health center. Of these, 33,431 (32.6%) were microscopically confirmed to be positive for the disease. Among these positive cases, 17,700 (52.9%) and 15,731 (47.1%) were males and females, respectively. Children less than 5 years old were 1.3 times more likely to be infected by malaria than those with 5-15 years ([OR]; 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.26-1.34, p < 0.001). There was higher percentage (69.7%) of Plasmodium falciparum infection than Plasmodium vivax (26.5%); and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). There was fluctuation in yearly malaria prevalence with a minimum of 7% in 2008 and maximum of 47% in 2005. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed that malaria continued to be one of the major public health problems in Woreta town, northwest Ethiopia. Moreover, there was no successive yearly reduction in its prevalence. Therefore, efforts are required to reduce the disease burden through continuous monitoring and evaluation of control measures in the study area.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of malaria transmission and preventive measures in Woreta town, Northwest Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: Despite a high public health burden of malaria in endemic regions of Ethiopia, there are limitations on the availability of data concerning public awareness about the disease and its preventive measures. The present study aimed in producing base line data on the community knowledge, attitudes and practices towards malaria transmission and its preventive measures in Woreta town, northwest Ethiopia. A community based two-stage random cluster study was conducted from May to July 2013. Household heads were interviewed to assess their awareness about malaria and its control measures. RESULTS: About 78.5% (113/144) of the respondents rated bite of infected mosquito as a way of malaria transmission. The majority of participants, 126 (87.5%) stated one or more symptoms of malaria. About 95.8% (138/144) of the respondents indicated that malaria is preventable and curable disease. Only about 25% (36/144) of the study participants practiced frequent and proper use of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs). Draining logged water was a highly rated, 83 (57.6%), practice of environmental management of malaria.