Microbiological quality of edible vegetable oils produced and marketed in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia.

Edible oils are imported and produced in Ethiopia, notably in Gondar, and their production has expanded considerably in recent years. The expansion of locally produced edible vegetable oils with severe quality control, substandard edible oil production, and quality deterioration may contribute to the contamination of microbes, which may cause public health problems. This study determines the microbiological quality of edible vegetable oils being produced and marketed in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia, in 2021. A laboratory-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from May to July 2021 in Gondar City. A simple random sampling technique was used to collect 17 edible vegetable oil samples. Aseptically collected samples were analyzed in the microbiology lab room. The microbiological quality of vegetable oil was assessed using standard microbiological procedures and techniques. The collected data were entered into a Microsoft Excel 2016 spreadsheet and Stata Version 14. A non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess significant variation. Seventeen edible vegetable oil samples were examined and found to contain a varying number of bacteria, yeast, and molds. Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella Pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the identified bacteria, whereas Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus fumigatus were the identified fungi. Total coliform and fecal coliform isolates were also identified in the oil samples. A level of microbial contamination that has public health importance was observed in some of the oil samples analyzed, and the isolated microorganisms indicate unhygienic handling, processing, and storage practices in the oil production and market sites. The introduction of strict rules, regulations, and updated manufacturing technologies and processes to ensure food safety and quality is needed.

Household drinking water quality and its predictors in flood-prone settings of Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional community-based study.

Globally, the deterioration of drinking water quality is a major public health problem that contributes to the spread of disease and causes death. Therefore, it is important to have regular quality control monitoring. This study aimed to assess the level of physicochemical and bacteriological quality of household drinking water and its contributing factors in flood-prone settlements of South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in flood-prone settings of Northwest Ethiopia from January 17 to March 30, 2021. Structured questionnaires were used to gather the sociodemographic, environmental, and behavioral data. A total of 675 drinking water samples were collected from water storage containers of selected households. Logistic regression models were used for both univariate and multivariable studies. The survey included a total of 675 households. The mean values of pH (5.9 ± 1.03), turbidity (6.7 ± 2.21 NTU), and free residual chlorine (0.02 ± 0.01 mg/l) did not meet the WHO recommended limits for drinking water. The prevalence of fecal contamination of drinking water in the study area was 62.2% with [95% CI (53-60%)]. Family size [AOR = 2.205, 95% CI (1.375-3.536), absence of latrine [AOR = 3.449, 95% CI (1.349-8.823)], and lack of a separate container to draw water from its storage [AOR = 0.454, 95% CI (0.249-0.827)] were significant predictors for fecal contamination of household drinking water. In conclusion, the water quality in terms of pH, turbidity, residual chlorine, and bacteriological parameters was poor and not suitable for consumption. High prevalence of fecal contamination of water was found, and it was significantly associated with family size, the absence of a latrine, and the lack of a separate cap to take water from the storage. Therefore, continuous chlorination and monitoring its concentration, educating the community on how to use stored water, educating the advantage of having a latrine, and promoting point-of-use treatments such as filtration and boiling are needed.

Quality assessment of raw and pasteurized milk in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia: A laboratory-based cross-sectional study.

Milk is a complete and highly nutritious source of food for human beings. However, in many developing countries, including Ethiopia, the quality of milk products has become a major health concern for consumers, particularly for infants and children. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the quality of raw and pasteurized milk marketed in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia. A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 milk samples. The samples were chosen using a simple random sampling technique. For statistical analysis, ANOVA and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used. The specific gravity of pasteurized milk, farm milk, and milk vendors were found to be 1.021, 1.027, and 1.026, respectively. Farm milk, milk vendors, and pasteurized milk had fat contents of 3.38%, 3.22%, and 3.09%, respectively. The total bacterial count in pasteurized milk, farm milk, and milk vendors was found to be 7.08, 6.73, and 6.94 log10 CFU/mL, respectively. In raw milk, hydrogen peroxide (7.7%), formalin (7.7%), and water (3.8%) were found, whereas in pasteurized milk, hydrogen peroxide (50%), formalin (50%), and water (19.8%) were found. Based on the findings of this study, the quality of both raw and pasteurized milk was found to be poor as per the milk quality standards. This may cause significant public health-related problems. Therefore, an appropriate intervention should be conducted to improve the quality of milk.

Prevalence of diarrheal disease and associated factors among under-five children in flood-prone settlements of Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional community-based study.

Background: Diarrheal illnesses are a long-standing public health problem in developing countries due to numerous sanitation issues and a lack of safe drinking water. Floods exacerbate public health issues by spreading water-borne infectious diseases such as diarrhea through the destruction of sanitation facilities and contamination of drinking water. There has been a shortage of studies regarding the magnitude of diarrheal disease in flood-prone areas. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the prevalence of diarrheal disease and its predictors among under-five children living in flood-prone localities in the south Gondar zone of Northwest Ethiopia. Method: A community-based cross-sectional research was carried out in flood-prone villages of the Fogera and Libokemkem districts from March 17 to March 30, 2021. Purposive and systematic sampling techniques were used to select six kebeles and 717 study units, respectively. Structured and pretested questionnaires were used to collect the data. A multivariable analysis was performed to determine the predictors of diarrheal disease, with P-value <0.05 used as the cut-off point to declare the association. Result: The prevalence of a diarrheal disease among under-five children was 29.0%. The regular cleaning of the compound [AOR: 2.13; 95% CI (1.25, 3.62)], source of drinking water [AOR: 2.36; 95% CI: (1.26, 4.41)], animal access to water storage site [AOR: 3.04; 95% CI: (1.76, 5.24)], vector around food storage sites [AOR: 9.13; 95% CI: (4.06, 20.52)], use of leftover food [AOR: 4.31; 95% CI: (2.64, 7.04)], and fecal contamination of water [AOR: 12.56; 95% CI: (6.83, 23.20)] remained to have a significant association with diarrheal diseases. Conclusion: The present study found that the prevalence of the diarrheal disease among under-five children was high. Routine compound cleaning, the source of drinking water, animal access to a water storage site, vectors near food storage sites, consumption of leftover food, and fecal contamination of water were significant predictors of diarrheal disease. Therefore, it is advised to provide improved water sources, encourage routine cleaning of the living area, and offer health education about water, hygiene, and sanitation.

Knowledge and Associated Factors of Medical Students Regarding Radiation Exposure from Common Diagnostic Imaging Procedures at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Physicians' knowledge about radiation exposure and risks was previously reported as inadequate. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess knowledge and associated factors regarding radiation exposure among medical students from common diagnostic imaging procedures at the University of Gondar. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge and associated factors regarding radiation exposure among medical students. A total of 473 medical students (first through sixth years of study) completed a structured questionnaire. Univariate and multi-variable binary logistic regression was used to see the factors associated with knowledge of medical students on radiation sources, exposure and risks. Variables with p-value <0.2 during the bivariable binary logistic regression were tested in the multivariable binary logistic regression. P-value<0.05 was used to declare significant association at the final model. RESULT: Response rate was 100%. Two hundred fifteen (45.5% 95% confidence interval (CI )(41.0%-50.3%)) participants had good knowledge regarding radiation exposure from diagnostic imaging procedures. Only 177(37.4%) participants correctly knew that Computer Tomography (CT) use X-ray. However, subjects incorrectly named magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as if it used x-ray (12.1%) and source of ionizing radiation (19.5%). Being female [Adjusted-odds-ratio (AOR)=1.57,95% CI(1.05,2.36)], 18-20 years of age [AOR=2.18, 95% CI(1.26, 3.76)], and 1st to 3rd year of study [AOR=3.64, 95% CI(2.23,5.95)] were predictors of knowledge identified. CONCLUSION: The results highlight that medical students need to be trained well with sufficient radiological education that enable them later to adhere to safe practices.

Assessment of quality of edible vegetable oils accessed in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: Edible vegetable oils are prone to quality deterioration through oxidation and microbial degradation resulting in nutritional loss and off-flavors. Quality deterioration may contribute in the formation of oxidation products that are reactive and toxic, which ultimately pose health risks including cancer and inflammation. The objective of this study was to assess quality of both imported and locally made edible vegetable oils accessed in Gondar City, Ethiopia. Cross-sectional study design was used to collect 60 samples randomly; 30 from locally made (Niger seed at market 14, Niger seed at production center 11, sunflower at the market 5) and 30 from imported palm oil brands (Avena 11, Hayat 4, Jersey 5 and Chef 10). RESULTS: The mean value for: moisture content (%) (0.333 ± 0.08 while 0.089 ± 0.11), specific-gravity (0.823 ± 0.14 and 0.807 ± 0.115), peroxide value (15.09 ± 1.61 and 7.05 ± 0.102 mill-equivalents of oxygen/kg), acid value (2.43 ± 0.9 and 0.98 ± 0.23 mg KOH/g oil) and iodine value (115.63 ± 6.77 and 21.8 ± 3.4 g I2/100 g oil) for local and imported edible oils, respectively. The results highlight that all rancidity quality parameters of the locally made oil samples were not within the joint WHO/FAO standards whilst the imported oils showed a greater fatty acid saturation.

Practice towards pesticide handling, storage and its associated factors among farmers working in irrigations in Gondar town, Ethiopia, 2019.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this study was to assess pesticide handling and storage practice, and its associated factors among farmers engaged in irrigation in Gondar town, Ethiopia, 2019. Community-based cross-sectional study was used to assess pesticide handling and storage practice, and its associated factors among farmers. Simple random sampling technique was used to select study subjects. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were entered using Epi Info 7.0 and exported to SPSS 20. Descriptive statistics were used for some variables. Univariate and multivariable binary logistic regression was used to test the factors associated with the outcome. Adjusted odd ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) with P value less than 0.05 were used to report association. RESULTS: About 409 study subjects completed the semi-structured questionnaires. Among the studies subjects, 261 (63.8%) of them had poor pesticide handling and storage practice. Knowledge [AOR = 3.23 (95% CI 1.91, 5.46)], attitude [AOR = 1.77 (95% CI 1.11, 2.81) and educational status (informal education [AOR = 3.05 (95% CI 1.72, 5.42)], elementary education [AOR = 5.38 (95% CI 2.62, 11.06)], secondary education [AOR = 9.51 (95% CI 4.24, 21.32)] and certificate and above [AOR = 6.00 (95% CI 1.58, 22.78)]) were factors significantly associated with pesticide handling and storage practice. To improve the pesticide handling and storage practice, it is imperative to enhance the level of the farmer's knowledge through training, and information dissemination in workshops.

Anaerobic treatment of deinking sludge: Methane production and organic matter degradation.

Deinking sludge (DS) is a residue from the waste paper recycling industry. It is a by-product originating from the deinking process which is designed to remove inks and other impurities from waste papers to recover usable fibers. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of anaerobic digestion (AD) of DS in order to produce methane (CH4) by degrading organic matter. DS differs clearly from common AD substrates due to its specific composition. The focus was laid on comparing various inocula in order to find appropriate microbial consortia. Three inocula from different origins were investigated. After sludge and inocula characterization, batch AD at a mesophilic (37 °C) condition was performed for 21 days to determine biogas and CH4 potentials as well as sludge biodegradability in comparison to cellulose. The highest average CH4 yield achieved in the 21 days of the batch experiment was 167 NmL/g organic dry matter (oDM). However, the CH4 potentials from all experiments did not have a wide range (average 160 NmL/g oDM; standard deviation ±5.0 NmL/g oDM). The highest organic matter degradation achieved was 31%. It can be stated that conventional AD inocula are usable to degrade DS, but that a significant part of the oDM was anaerobically not degradable. The overall CH4 yields were lower compared to top AD substrates such as energy crops, but in a similar range like residue-based AD substrates such as manure. Since actual DS management is cost-intensive and affecting the profitability of waste paper industry significantly, AD as a management option with an energetically valuable output is a very promising option.