Trend analysis of hepatitis B and C among patients visiting health facility of Tigrai, Ethiopia, 2014-2019.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B and C viruses are the major public health concerns of the globe. The two hepatotropic viruses share common modes of transmission and their co-infection is common. Despite the provision of an effective prevention mechanism, the infections caused by these viruses remain a significant problem worldwide, particularly among developing countries like Ethiopia. METHODS: This institutional-based retrospective study was conducted between January 2014 December and December 2019 from documented laboratory logbooks of Adigrat general hospital serology laboratory, Tigrai, Ethiopia. data were collected and checked for completeness on a daily based, coded, entered, and cleaned using Epinfo version 7.1, exported and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Binary logistic regression analysis and Chi-square test (X2) assessed the association between dependent and independent variables. The corresponding variables with a P-value (P < 0.05) and 95% confidence interval were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Out of 20,935 clinically suspected individuals, 20,622 were given specimens and tested for hepatitis B and C viruses with total completeness of 98.5%. The overall prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus was found to be 3.57% (689/19,273) and 2.13% (30/1,405), respectively. The positivity rate of the hepatitis B virus was 8.0% (106/1317) and 3.24% (583/17,956) among males and females, respectively. Additionally, 2.49%( 12/481) of males and 1.94% (18/924) of females were positive for hepatitis C virus infection. The overall prevalence of co-infection for both hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus was 7.4% (4/54). Sex and age were significantly associated with hepatitis B and C virus infection. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of hepatitis B and C is low intermediate according to the WHO criteria. Although there was a fluctuating trend of hepatitis B and C through the years 2014-2019, the result shows moreover declining trend. Both hepatitis B and C share similar routes of transmission and affect all age categories but males were more highly affected than females. Therefore, awareness creation of the community about the methods of transmission, education about prevention, and control of hepatitis B and C virus infection, and improving coverage of youth-friendly services in health facilities should be strengthened.

Household knowledge, practice and treatment seeking behaviors towards cutaneous leishmaniasis in the endemic rural communities of Ganta- afeshum district, Tigrai, northern Ethiopia, 2019: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic to Ethiopia. However, the prevention and control efforts of leishmaniasis remain unfocused with clear knowledge and practice gaps within the country. Thus, a house to house survey has been carried out to assess the knowledge, practice and treatment-seeking behavior of households towards cutaneous leishmaniasis in the rural communities of Tigrai region, northern Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional house-to-house survey was conducted in two selected rural villages of Ganta-afeshum district, Tigrai, northern Ethiopia in 2019. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select the participants. Household heads were interviewed using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Epi info version 7.0 was used for data entry and the data were imported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Chi-square test (χ2) was used to test the association between the independent variables and the knowledge and practice status of the study participants. P-value < 0.05 was used to declare a statistically significant association among the variables. RESULTS: In our study, most of the participants (78%) stated that cutaneous leishmaniasis is a health problem in the area. Three hundred eighty (99.5%) participants responded that the most common clinical presentation of cutaneous leishmaniasis is a lesion on the face. All of the study participants did not know the mode of cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission, and had never heard of the sand fly. A majority of the participants were unaware of the main prevention methods for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Lastly, traditional medicine was used in 90% of the study households with a previous history for cutaneous leishmaniasis. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of awareness regarding the transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ganta-afeshum, Ethiopia, where the majority of individuals are unfamiliar with the sand fly vector. Prevention methods for cutaneous leishmaniasis were unavailable among the community. Therefore, health education programs concerning cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission, prevention, and treatment in the area should be rigorously implemented.

Epidemiology and sex differences of podoconiosis in Ethiopia: A systemic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Podoconiosis is a poorly understood neglected tropical disease which results in a high socio-economic burden. In Ethiopia, despite the high prevalence, morbidity, and socio-economic impacts, little information is available about the disease. Thus, this review aimed to assess the effect of sex differences and pooled prevalence of podoconiosis in Ethiopia. STUDY SETTING: Ethiopia is a country located in East Africa. METHODS: Published literature on the prevalence of podoconiosis in Ethiopia was searched through MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Goggle scholar, and Global Health. Studies conducted in humans, open access, and met 50% threshold on the quality assessment checklist score adopted from Joanna Briggs Institute were eligible for inclusion. Data were extracted using first author, year of publication, participants' population, setting (urban/rural), study design, podoconiosis infection among males, the total number of males, podoconiosis infection among females, the total number of females, and context using Microsoft™ Excel. R statistical software version 3.6.1 was utilized to carry out the meta-analysis. The protocol of this review is registered in the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews and assigned a registration number of CRD 42020154697. RESULTS: We performed heterogeneity, sensitivity, and publication bias analysis for the included articles. We identified 229 records, of which 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of podoconiosis in Ethiopia was 6% [95% CI: 5%; 6%]. Subgroup analysis by setting indicated slightly higher prevalence in rural settings. The odds of podoconiosis infection among female is 1.15 times that of males" The effect of sex on podoconiosis was sub-grouped by study setting and the odds of females were 1.29 times at increased risk of acquiring podoconiosis than males (p < 0.01) in rural settings. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of podoconiosis in Ethiopia is high. This review suggested that females are at higher risk of developing podoconiosis than males, particularly in rural communities which has health promotion and awareness implications regarding protective wear.

Assessment of knowledge, practice, and status of food handlers toward Salmonella, Shigella, and intestinal parasites: A cross-sectional study in Tigrai prison centers, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Unsafe food becomes a global public health and economic threat to humans. The health status, personal hygiene, knowledge, and practice of food handlers have crucial impact on food contamination. Hence, this study is aimed at assessing the knowledge, practice, and prevalence of Salmonella, Shigella, and intestinal parasites among food handlers in Eastern Tigrai prison centers, Northern Ethiopia. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was carried out from April to September 2019 among food handlers in Eastern Tigrai prison centers, Northern Ethiopia. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the demographic characteristics, the knowledge, and the practice of the study participants. Direct wet mount and formol-ether concentration techniques were applied to identify intestinal parasites. Culture and biochemical tests were used to isolate the Salmonella and the Shigella species. Additionally, antimicrobial susceptibility tests to selected antibiotics were performed using Kirby-Baur disk diffusion method. We used SPSS version 23 software for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-seven (62.7%, 37/59) of the participants had harbored one or more intestinal parasites. The protozoan Entamoeba histolytica/dispar was detected among 23.7% (14/59) of the study participants who provided stool specimen. Besides, 6.8% (4/59) of the samples were positive for either Salmonella or Shigella species. The Salmonella isolates (n = 2) were sensitive to Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin, Ceftriaxone, and Clarithromycin but resistant to Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, and Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Similarly, the two Shigella isolates were susceptible to Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin, and Ceftriaxone but showed resistance to Amoxicillin, Tetracycline, and Chloramphenicol. Further, 60.6% (40/66) of the participants had good level of knowledge, and 51.5% (34/66) had good level of practice on foodborne diseases and on food safety. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that foodborne pathogens are significant health problems in the study areas. Regular health education and training programs among the food handlers are demanded to tackle foodborne diseases at the prison centers.

Community based hematological reference intervals among apparently healthy adolescents aged 12-17 years in Mekelle city, Tigrai, northern Ethiopia: A cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Hematological reference intervals are important in clinical and diagnostic management for the assessment of health and disease conditions. Hematological reference intervals are better to be established based on gender and age differences as these are among the main affecting factors. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish hematological reference intervals among apparently healthy adolescents aged 12-17 years in Mekelle City, Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia, 2019. METHOD: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 249 adolescents aged 12-17 years from December 2018 to May 2019. About 4ml of blood sample was collected from each study participant using vacutainer tube containing K2EDTA. Hematological parameters were analyzed using Sysmex KX-21N hematology analyzer (Sysmex Corporation Kobe, Japan). Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Both parametric and non-parametric analyses were used to calculate the median and 95% of reference intervals. The 97.5th and 2.5th percentiles were calculated using descriptive statistics for the upper and lower reference limits of the study participants. Differences in reference intervals between male and female participants were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULT: Among the 249 participants 122 (49%) were males and 127 (51%) were females with the median age of 14.5 (range 12 to 17) years were recruited in this study. The median and the 95% reference intervals of hematological parameters were determined. The 95% RIs were: Red blood cells (1012/Liter) 4.6-5.9 (Males) and 4.3-5.6 (Females), White blood cells (109/Liter) 2.9-9.6 (Males) and 3.4-10.2 (Females), Hemoglobin (g/dl) 12.6-17.1 (Males) and 12-15.4 (Females), Platelets (109/Liter) 138-364 (Males) and 151-462 (Females). Almost all of the hematological parameters showed significant differences (p<0.05) across gender. CONCLUSION: The hematological reference intervals established in this study showed a difference based on gender. We suggest preparing and using distinct local reference intervals for males and females separately.

Alteration of Clinical Chemistry Parameters Among Visceral Leishmaniasis Patients in Western Tigrai, Ethiopia, 2018/2019: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis causes alterations of lipid metabolism and it is associated with hypocholesterolemia and severe hypertriglyceridemia. Hepatic dysfunction and life-threatening hepatitis are associated with visceral leishmaniasis. Kidney damage is frequently associated with increased morbidity and mortality in visceral leishmaniasis patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the alterations of clinical chemistry parameters among visceral leishmaniasis patients attending Kahsay Abera and Mearg hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia. A total of 100 visceral leishmaniasis patients and 100 healthy controls without visceral leishmaniasis were selected by using convenient sampling techniques. Data were entered and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 23. RESULTS: Results were showed that the mean value of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and triglyceride was significantly higher in visceral leishmaniasis patients than in apparently healthy controls, but the mean value of serum urea and total cholesterol was significantly lower in visceral leishmaniasis patients than healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The finding of this study concluded that visceral leishmaniasis causes significant alterations of clinical chemistry tests like liver and lipid profile tests compared to healthy controls.

Prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, and associated factors of Salmonella and Shigella among food handlers in Adigrat University student's cafeteria, northern Ethiopia, 2018.

BACKGROUND: Food handlers play a significant role in the transmission of foodborne infections. Salmonella and Shigella are the most common foodborne pathogens and their infections are a major public health problem globally. Thus, this study aimed to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, and associated factors of Salmonella and Shigella colonization among food handlers. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to August 2018 at Adigrat University student cafeteria, Northern Ethiopia. Data on socio-demographic and associated factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Fresh stool samples were collected from 301 food handlers and transported to Adigrat University Microbiology Laboratory. Bacterial isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility test were performed using standard bacteriological methods. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22 and P < 0.05 where a corresponding 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 301 food handlers were included in this study. The majority of study participants were females 265 (88.0%). About 22 (7.3%) and 11 (3.7%) of food handlers were found to be positive for Salmonella and Shigella respectively. Hand washing after using a bathroom with water only, no hand washing after using the bathroom, no hand washing after touching dirty materials, no hand washing before food handling, and untrimmed fingernails were significant associated factors identified. None of the Salmonella and Shigella isolates were sensitive to ampicillin, yet low resistance against chloramphenicol, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin was found. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that the prevalence of Salmonella and Shigella among food handlers was 22 (7.3%) and 11 (3.7%) respectively. Such colonized food handlers can contaminate food, and drinks and could serve as a source of infection to consumers. This indicates that there is a need for strengthened infection control measures to prevent Salmonella and Shigella transmission in the students' cafeteria.

Increased Virological Failure and Determinants Among HIV Patients on Highly Active Retroviral Therapy in Adigrat General Hospital, Northern Ethiopia, 2019: Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, despite the integrated implementation of antiretroviral therapy since 2005, the human immunodeficiency virus remains a public health concern. Managing and detecting antiretroviral treatment response is important to monitor the effectiveness of the therapy for individuals who experience failed virological response. An increased viral load indicating drug resistance or rapid progression of viral replication needs early detection. Hence, we aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of virological response among human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Adigrat General Hospital from September to December, 2019, on a total of 422 participants. An interviewer-based questionnaire was used for data collection. About 4 mL of venous blood was collected for viral load determination. Patient records were reviewed for the previous results of CD4+ T cell counts. STATA 14 software was used to analyze the data. Descriptive data were presented using tables and figures. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. A p-value < 0.05 was considered a statistically significant association. RESULTS: The mean age of study participants was 39 years (SD ±12.2 years), of which 66.7% of them were females. The overall prevalence of virological failure was 12.47% (49/393). Moreover, the prevalence of virological failure was observed to be higher among tuberculosis co-infected individuals (26%) compared with the mono-infected HIV patients (6.3%). The odds of virological failure were higher among obese and undernourished individuals, tuberculosis co-infected, and individuals with the failure of immune reconstitution. CONCLUSION: There was a high rate of virological failure among the study participants. Tuberculosis infection increased the rate of failure. There should be consistent assessment of viral load testing to determine the status of virological response for appropriate drug switching to clients. HIV patients with virological failure are recommended for switching of the antiretroviral therapy.

Six Years Trend Analysis of Tuberculosis in Northwestern Tigrai, Ethiopia; 2019: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia is one of the 22 high tuberculosis burden countries. In our country. there are limited published data to show the trend analysis of tuberculosis. Hence, we designed this trend analysis to fill the information gap in our study area. Institutional based retrospective cross-sectional study was employed from 2013 to 2018 to determine the trend analysis of tuberculosis among tuberculosis presumptive clients in Northwestern Tigrai. We have used a standard checklist to extract the data. There were some missing data from the logbooks which are then excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 7793 tuberculosis presumptive clients were requested for laboratory diagnosis of which about 7639 results had a valid result for X-pert MTB/Rif assay. The overall detection rate of tuberculosis was found to be 9.9% (756/7639). Of the total tuberculosis cases, 8.7 % (66/756) were rifampicin-resistant. The trend of tuberculosis across the six years was fluctuating with a declining trend in the recent three years. HIV infection and being presumptive to drug resistance were associated with tuberculosis detection. CONCLUSION: Although there was a cumulative declining trend of tuberculosis within the last six years, prevention and control strategies still need to be improved to achieve the stop tuberculosis strategy. To create a world free of tuberculosis, there should be quality service provision regarding tuberculosis case detection and treatment.

More Than Half Prevalence of Protozoan Parasitic Infections Among Diarrheic Outpatients in Eastern Tigrai, Ethiopia, 2019; A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Protozoan infections remain a major public health concern in Ethiopia, which causes malnutrition, protein and iron deficiencies, increment of health costs, hospitalization and long-term deleterious effects. In Tigrai, particularly, in the study area, there are limited literatures on the prevalence of protozoa and associated factors among diarrheic outpatients. Thus, aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of protozoan infections among diarrheic outpatients in Eastern Tigrai. METHODS: Health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Eastern Tigrai, Ethiopia from April to October 2019 among diarrheic outpatient in health facilities of Adigrat. Four hundred one eighteen study participants were included consecutively. The stool samples were examined via direct wet mount following formal-ether concentration technique. Both interviewer based and self-administrated questionnaires were used to collect demographic data and factors associated with protozoan infections. Data were analyzed and computed using BM SPSS statistics version 22.0. P-value=0.05 at 95% confidence interval declared statistically significant. RESULTS: Out of 418 diarrheic outpatients, the overall prevalence of protozoan infection was 59.3% (248/418). A higher percentage of intestinal protozoan infection was recorded for females 130 (31.1%). Using well water as a source of drinking, poor hand washing habits before eating, not home latrine, dirty and untrimmed fingernails were the most important risk factors identified. E. histolytica complex and Giardia duodenalis were the most predominant protozoan infections detected among diarrheic outpatients. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that diarrheic outpatients in the study area were heavily infected with protozoan parasitic infection. E. histolytica complex and Giardia duodenalis were the most predominant protozoans detected among diarrheic outpatients. Using well water as a source of drinking, poor handwashing habit before eating, not having home latrine, dirty and untrimmed fingernails were most important risk factors identified. So, cooperative action and health education on preventive measure are needed to reduce protozoan infections in Tigrai, particularly in the study area. The present study showed that diarrheic outpatients in the study area were heavily infected with protozoan parasitic infection.

The effect of tuberculosis on immune reconstitution among HIV patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy in Adigrat general hospital, eastern Tigrai, Ethiopia; 2019: a retrospective follow up study.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia initiated antiretroviral therapy early in 2005. Managing and detecting antiretroviral treatment response is important to monitor the effectiveness of medication and possible drug switching for low immune reconstitution. There is less recovery of CD4+ T cells among human immunodeficiency virus patients infected with tuberculosis. Hence, we aimed to assess the effect of tuberculosis and other determinant factors of immunological response among human immunodeficiency virus patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy. A retrospective follow up study was conducted from October to July 2019. A total of 393 participants were enrolled. An interviewer based questionnaire was used for data collection. Patient charts were used to extract clinical data and follow up results of the CD4+ T cell. Current CD4+ T cell counts of patients were performed. STATA 13 software was used to analyze the data. A p-value ≤0.05 was considered a statistically significant association. RESULTS: The mean age of study participants was 39.2 years (SD: + 12.2 years) with 8.32 mean years of follow up. The overall prevalence of immune reconstitution failure was 24.7% (97/393). Highest failure rate occurred within the first year of follow up time, 15.7 per 100 Person-year. Failure of CD4+ T cells reconstitution was higher among tuberculosis coinfected patients (48.8%) than mono-infected patients (13.7%). Living in an urban residence, baseline CD4+ T cell count ≤250 cells/mm3, poor treatment adherence and tuberculosis infection were significantly associated with the immunological failure. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high rate of CD4+ T cells reconstitution failure among our study participants. Tuberculosis infection increased the rate of failure. Factors like low CD4+ T cell baseline count, poor adherence and urban residence were associated with the immunological failure. There should be strict monitoring of CD4+ T cell counts among individuals with tuberculosis coinfection.

Assessment of community knowledge, practice, and determinants of malaria case households in the rural area of Raya Azebo district, Northern Ethiopia, 2017.

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia malaria is one of the leading causes of outpatient visits and admission. Still, it remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the study area. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the knowledge, practice, and determinant of malaria case households in rural areas of Raya Azebo district, Northern Ethiopia. METHOD: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in the selected villages of Raya Azebo district from January to June 2017. A multi-stage random sampling method was employed to select a total of 422 study households. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The household head was interviewed face to face. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the determinant of malaria cases households. RESULT: A total of 412 (97.6) of the respondents had ever heard about malaria. About 63% of households recognized the causes of malaria to be a mosquito bite. Around 173 (41%) of the study households had been treated for malaria within a year of data collection. This study also revealed that the presence of mosquito breeding sites near to home, bed bug infestation, outdoor sleep due to bed bugs and household with poor bed net practicing were significantly associated with malaria case households. CONCLUSION: Although the overall knowledge on malaria transmission, symptoms, and the preventive measure was relatively good, the rate of household insecticide-treated net coverage and utilization were reported low in the area. Therefore, the distribution of adequate bed net with community-based education is a key intervention to promote household insecticide-treated net utilization. In addition, an effective bed bug management strategy is necessary to overcome the outdoor sleeping habit of the community in the area.

Seasonal distribution and seven year trend of malaria in North West Tigrai: 2012-2018, Ethiopia; 2019.

BACKGROUND: Malaria is a serious public concern in Ethiopia, 75% of the land and 60% of the population are exposed to the disease. The disease has been consistently reported as one of the top three leading causes of outpatient visits, admissions, and deaths among all age group in Ethiopia. However, there is no published data to date regarding the trends of malaria in north western Tigrai, northern Ethiopia. Hence, knowing the trends of malaria prevalence in this area is essential to design appropriate interventions against the disease. METHODS: Institutional based retrospective study was conducted to determine trends in prevalence of malaria from documented laboratory logbooks at Suhul General Hospital, northwestern Tigrai, northern Ethiopia. All recorded malaria cases from January 2012 to December 2018 were carefully reviewed and analyzed from the laboratory logbooks. Additionally, any malaria intervention activities applied in the area were collected by a checklist. Beside, data related to temperature and rainfalls were collected from metrological office of Shire-endasilasie town. RESULTS: During the seven years (2012-2018) data, a total of 71,986 blood films were requested for malaria diagnosis in Suhul Hospital and 5010(6.96%) microscopically confirmed malaria cases reported in the study area with fluctuating trends. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax were the dominant parasites detected, which accounted (2516; 50.2%, 2181; 43.5%) respectively. However, individuals aged ≥15 years (3628; 72.4%) and male participants (3142, 62.7%) were found highly infected with malaria parasites. Despite the yearly abundance of malaria cases, highest prevalence was reported in autumn (September-November) in the study area. CONCLUSIONS: Malaria is still a major health dilemma Northwestern Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax were unmoving predominant parasite reported in the study area. Overall, trend of malaria over the years showed no significant reduction or increment. So, strong scaling up of the community should going on towards transmission, prevention and control activities of malaria in view of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.

Assessment of sanitary condition of services as implication for intestinal parasitic infections among prison inmates: institutional based cross-sectional study in eastern Tigrai zonal prison, northern Ethiopia, 2018.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess the sanitary condition of services and its implication for intestinal parasitic infections among prison inmates in eastern Tigrai, northern Ethiopia. RESULTS: We have assessed the availability and sanitary condition of services at Adigrat prison. Frequent water cuts and unavailability of soap in the prison have challenged prisoners and food handlers to maintain their hygiene. The living rooms were overcrowded and poorly ventilated besides to unsatisfactory kitchen rooms. The prevalence of intestinal parasites among the participants was 40% (108/270). The dominant parasite was Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (60, 22.2%) followed by Giardia lamblia, 39 (14.4%). The mixed infections of Entamoeba histolytica/dispar and Giardia lamblia were detected among 17 (6.3%) of the participants. In multivariate analysis, participants who were feeding in groups were more likely to harbor intestinal parasites than those who were feeding alone (AOR: 2.1; CI 1.05-4.3). Intestinal parasites are significant health problems to the prisoners of Adigrat prison with poor sanitation of services. Therefore, provision of necessary facilities such as hand washing basins, soaps, disinfectants, disinfestations, and food utensils could significantly reduce the burden of intestinal parasites in the prison.

Prevalence of anemia and associated factors among pregnant women in Adigrat General Hospital, Tigrai, northern Ethiopia, 2018.

OBJECTIVES: Anemia remains a major public health problem in Ethiopia, which causes maternal and fetal severe consequences. In Tigrai, there are limited literatures on prevalence of anemia and associated factors among pregnant women. Thus, a hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated factors of anemia in Adigrat General Hospital. Data was analyzed and computed using SPSS version 22. p value = 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of Anemia among the pregnant women attending Adigrat General Hospital was 7.9%. About 62.5% and 37.5% of the anemic women were with mild (Hgb: 10.0-10.9 g/d1) and moderate (Hgb: 7-9.9 g/dl) type respectively. Factors like, residing in rural areas increases risk of anemia by 6 times (AOR = 6, 95% CI 1.34, 27.6, p = 0.019), participants having current blood loss (AOR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.16, 10.2, p = 0.026), having history of recent abortion (AOR = 7.9, 95% CI 2.23, 28.1, p = 0.001) and gestational age in the third trimester (AOR = 4.9, 95% CI 1.39, 17.6, p = 0.013) were statistically associated with anemia. Generally, prevalence of anemia is found to be low in the study area. However, it should be given due attention. Therefore, strong endeavor is needed to control anemia among pregnant women by assessing different micronutrient deficiencies for further prevention.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated risk factors among inmates of Mekelle prison, Tigrai Region, Northern Ethiopia, 2017.

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, like other developing countries, intestinal parasitic infections are the major public health problems affecting millions annually. Overcrowding and poor living conditions are the major risk factors. Prison inmates are among the most vulnerable groups to intestinal parasitic infections. However, there is scarcity of epidemiological data regarding intestinal parasites among prison inmates in Ethiopia, notably in Tigrai. Thus, we aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and identify the associated factors among inmates of Mekelle prison, Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross sectional study involving 291 inmates was conducted from February to June 2017 among inmates of Mekelle prison. After systematically selecting subjects, stool specimens were examined using direct wet mount and formol-ether concentration techniques. We used SPSS version 21 for data analysis. We considered p-value less than 0.05 significant at 95% confidence level. RESULTS: Of the 291 inmates enrolled in the study, 124 (42.6%) harbored one or more intestinal parasites. The protozoan Entamoeba histolytica/dispar/moshkovskii was the predominant parasite accounted for 68 (23.3%) of the infections followed by Giardia lamblia (10.3%) and Entamoeba coli (8.2%). Fourteen (4.8%) participants were co-infected with different parasite species. The co-infections of Entamoeba histolytica/dispar/moshkovskii and Giardia lamblia were detected among 3.1% of the participants. In bivariate analysis, hand fingernail status (COR 1.86, 95% CI, 1.08-3.20) and duration of stay in prison (COR 2.23, 95% CI 1.31-3.79) were statistically associated with intestinal parasite infections. In multivariable regression, inmates who stayed in the prison for one year or less were more likely to harbor intestinal parasitic infections (p = 0.013) than those who stayed longer. No other single predictor variable was found to be significantly associated with intestinal parasitic infections. CONCLUSIONS: The result of this study showed that intestinal parasites are significant health problems among inmates of Mekelle prison.