Search

Kemal Jemal,1 Berhanu Senbeta Deriba,2 Tinsae Abeya Geleta,2 Mengistu Tesema,2 Mukemil Awol,3 Endeshaw Mengistu,4 Youssef Annous5 1Salale University, College of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Fitche, Ethiopia; 2Salale University, College of Sciences, Department of Public Health, Fitche, Ethiopia; 3Salale University, College of Sciences, Department of Midwifery, Fitche, Ethiopia; 4Salale University, College of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Fitche, Ethiopia; 5University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USACorrespondence: Kemal JemalSalale University, College of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Fitche, EthiopiaEmail kemal_jemal@slu.edu.etBackground: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health emergency that has affected many world nations, including Ethiopia. Aside from its implications on the community as a whole, COVID-19 has also been associated with a variety of mental health problems among healthcare workers (HCWs). In this study, we aim to assess the prevalence of self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among HCWs in central Ethiopia.Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey from June 25, 2020, to July 25, 2020, in Ethiopia. Data were collected using a self-reported Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Data were cleaned, coded, and analysed using SPSS Version 23. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify the associated factors for mental health outcomes at a p-value of less than 0.05.Results: A total of 816 HCWs completed the self-report questionnaire. The percentage of HCWs who had moderate to extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were 60.3%, 78%, and 33.8%, respectively. Female participants, HCWs in the Oromiya Special Zone, medical laboratory professionals, and HCWs working in the COVID-19 treatment isolation centers were significantly more likely to have symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.Conclusion: In this study, HCWs reported a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Female participants, HCWs in the Oromiya Special Zone, medical laboratory professionals, and HCWs working in the COVID-19 treatment isolation centers were significantly more likely to have symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. It is imperative that the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health should develop psychological interventions to address the specific needs of HCWs who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.Keywords: COVID-19, anxiety, depression, stress, health care workers, Ethiopia

This work aims to inspect tomato features and classify them based on color and morphological features into the three predefined regions using artificial neural networks (ANN). Different learning methods were analyzed for the task of inspecting tomatoes using image processing software in MATLAB. Tomatoes were collected from the eastern parts of Ethiopia. The neural classification was done by the shape and size feature alone. The ANN classifier on the selected color feature alone showed that from the total test examples of 180 images, 168 (93.3 %) were correctly classified and 12 (6.7 %) were misclassified. The ANN classifier on all features taken together showed that all the test images were correctly classified. This result is similar to the morphology (shape and size) features result, but if the number of data points is high, the result may vary significantly. The overall result revealed that shape and size features have more discriminating power than color features, and the discrimination power increases when individual features are trained together with shape and size features. This may be because the discriminating factor increases due to the increase in the number of included features. It was observed that the proposed method was successful as quantified by the cumulative error (CE) and percentage error (%E) of training, testing, and validation of color features: 6.35 %, 3.70 %, and 11.11 %, respectively, in evaluating the quality of tomatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Missed nursing care has become a global health concern because of its impact on patient safety and nursing care quality. It is a critical indicator of nursing care quality and adverse patient outcomes. However, data regarding the magnitude and reasons for missed nursing care is limited in the study area. This study aimed to determine the magnitude and reasons for missed nursing care among nurses working in South Gondar zone public hospitals. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among nurses working in South Gondar zone public hospitals from December 12, 2023, to January 20, 2024. The data was collected through self-administered MISSCARE survey tools. The collected data were entered into EpiData V.4.2 and then exported to SPSS V.25 for analysis. The statistical significance of the association between outcome variables and independent variables was declared at a P-value less than 5% (0.05) at 95% CI. Result The magnitude of missed nursing care in the study area was 51.7% (95% CI: 46.89–55.47%). Medications administered as ordered (69.8%), skin/wound care (69.8%), vital signs assessed as ordered and accordingly (68.8%), and IV/central line site care and assessments according to hospital policy (66.2%) were among the nursing care elements that were frequently missed. Material resource (76.7%), teamwork (69.1%), labor resource (65.5%), and communication (56.3%) were the main reasons for missed nursing care. Inadequate number of staff 2.9 (1.75, 4.75), training (CPD) in nursing care 1.9 (1.16, 3.14), equipment’s not available 3.9 (2.16, 6.89), and medication were not available. 4.4 (2.48, 7.76) were associated with missed nursing care. Conclusion The proportion of commonly missed nursing care was high. After adjusting for demographic variables, labor resources, material resources, and communication were reasons for commonly missed nursing care. Increasing the number of nurses, investing in nurse training, working on equipment availability, and increasing medication availability could minimize frequent omissions of nursing care.

Abstract Background Even though the disease has spread throughout the world, with millions killed, global COVID-19 vaccination coverage remains low, particularly in developing countries. However, epidemiological data is lacking in the area. Hence, this study aimed to assess COVID-19 uptake, willingness for vaccination, and associated factors. Method A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 1 to June 30, 2022, among patients attending chronic follow-up clinics in the two comprehensive specialized hospitals in Bahir Dar. The total sample size was 423. Participants were selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Data was gathered using a pre-tested questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 23. A descriptive analysis was performed. A binary logistic regression analysis was done to assess the association between variables. Variables with a p-value

ABSTRACT Background and Aims Intestinal parasitic infection is a common disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries, including Ethiopia. The burden of intestinal parasites is worse in schoolchildren, which leads to absenteeism from school, lower cognitive ability, affects academic performance, and causes malnutrition and anemia. While many studies have been reported, there is a paucity of published data in Debre Markos. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated factors among public primary second‐cycle schoolchildren in Debre Markos Town, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A school‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted among three selected public primary second‐cycle schools in Debre Markos town from May 1 to 30, 2022. Study participants were selected by using random and systematic sampling techniques with proportional allocation to each grade. Data were collected using semi‐structured questionnaires. A single stool specimen was collected from the study participants and processed using direct wet mount and formol ether concentration technique. Binary logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between independent and outcome variables at a 95% confidence level. Results A total of 343 students were included in the study. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 12% (41/343) with a predominance of hookworms (5.2%, 18/343), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides 2.3% (8/343), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar 1.2% (4/343), Hymenolepis nana 0.9% (3/343), Strongyloides stercoralis 0.9% (3/343), Giardia lamblia 0.9% (3/343), and Trichuris trichiura 0.6% (2/343). The habit of open‐field defecation (AOR, 95% CI; 2.43 [1.16–5.09]), not using soap to wash hands (AOR, 95% CI; 2.93 [1.33–6.42]), and not wearing closed shoes (AOR, 95% CI; 3.12 [1.19–8.23]) were factors significantly associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection. Conclusion The prevalence of intestinal parasites was comparatively low in the study area. Open‐field defecation, not using soap to wash hands, and not wearing closed shoes were identified as independent predictors.

Objective This study aimed to pool the prevalence of virological failure and associated factors.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.Primary outcome measure Prevalence of virological failure.Secondary outcome measure Factors affecting virological failure.Analysis The extracted data were exported to STATA V.17 for statistical analysis. A random-effects DerSimonian-Laird model was used to compute the pooled prevalence of virological failure.Setting Ethiopia.Participants Patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy.Results A total of 51 primary studies with a sample size of 38, 789 participants were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of virological failure among patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in Ethiopia was 15.95% (95% CI: 12.63, 19.27; I2=97.99%; p1000 copies/mL (AOR=4.63, 95% CI: 2.60, 8.26), opportunistic infections (AOR=3.58, 95% CI: 2.58, 4.96) and TB-HIV coinfection (AOR=3.97, 95% CI: 2.41, 6.54) were significantly associated with virological failure among patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy in Ethiopia.Conclusions The pooled prevalence of virological failure among patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy was high in Ethiopia. Therefore, due attention should be given to patients with these identified factors. Moreover, we recommend researchers to conduct a triangulated study that can address additional factors associated with virological failure.PROSPERO registration number The protocol was registered with the Prospero database (PROSPERO, 2024: CRD42024512411).

Abstract Background Intestinal parasitic infections (IP) are a major source of morbidity in people living with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), particularly in resource-limited settings, mostly as a result of high viral load. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the magnitude of intestinal parasitic infections and its determinants among patients with HIV/AIDS attending public health facilities in East and West Gojam Zones in Ethiopia. Methods Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 327 people living with HIV visiting public health facilities from December 2022 to May 2023. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit participants. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect socio-demographics and determinants. The fresh stool was collected from each patient, transported, and tested in accordance with laboratory standard operating procedures of wet mount, formol-ether concentration technique, and modified acid-fast staining. Data were entered and analyzed in the statistical package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. A 95% CI with p-value 1000cps/ml (p = 0.035), WHO stage 4 (p = 0.002), CD4

Ionizing radiation has enough energy to damage DNA and increase human risk of developing cancer. Radiation protection must be assured to all the people of the hospital, from the employing authority to the workers carrying out radiological procedures. This work aims to evaluate the radiation safety in diagnostic procedures using X-ray, in Mekelle city, in the case of governmental and non-governmental hospitals. All the data are collected by observation and interviewing the staff members of each facility, measuring the dose rate at the controlled and supervised areas, the outputs and leakage of the X-ray machines. The collected data are evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively. The result shows that 25.9 % of the radiation workers are females, and 74.1 % of them are males. As concerns the educational background, 37 % of the workers are bachelor degree holders, and 63 % are possessors of university diplomas. Thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) produce a file on the procedures being practiced for the assessment of personal doses. A need for such a file has also been touched to ensure the uniformity in processing of dosimeters, recording and reporting of doses by different TLD. It was noticed that there is a problem in using the existing protective devices during the radiotherapy practice. To improve the radiation safety procedure, the lifetime of the X-ray machine has to be limited. Also, it is necessary to adjust the maintenance and service shop to control the X-ray machine. At the same time, the radiation workers must permanently update their knowledge and skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naturally occurring radionuclide materials have been found in the Earth's surface. These radionuclides include uranium (238U), thorium (232Th) and potassium (40K). The natural radioactive material originated from the environment is the major source of radiation. The purpose of this work is to assess the specific activity of radionuclides in soil samples and tea leaves and to estimate the transfer factor of radionuclides from soil to tea leaves. The specific activity of natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K in six soil samples and tea leaves from Gumero tea farm were measured by gamma spectroscopy using a High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detector, and the radiological hazard parameters due to these natural radionuclides were determined. The mean specific activity of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in soil samples were: 41.6 ± 1.4 Bq kg-1, 81.8 ± 2.4 Bq kg-1, and 184.8 ± 5.1 Bq kg-1, respectively and for tea leaves they were: 3.5 ± 1.1 Bq kg-1 for 238U, 4.9 ± 0.9 Bq kg-1 for 232Th, and 516.7 ± 32.0 Bq kg-1 for 40K. The average value of radium equivalent specific activity in soil samples was 172.0 ± 4.6 Bq kg-1 whereas, in tea leaves it was 53.3 ± 2.2 Bq kg-1. This value is lower than the world average limit which is 370 Bq kg-1. The mean absorbed dose rate (DR) was found to be 26.1 ± 1.0 nGy h-1 and 76.3 ± 2.0 nGy h-1 in the tea leaves, and soil samples, respectively. The mean annual effective dose (AED) was 0.03 mSv y-1 and 0.09 mSv y-1 in tea leaves and soil samples, respectively. The mean external hazard index (Hex) was 0.13 in the tea leaves and 0.46 in soil samples. The internal hazard index (Hin) was 0.16 in tea leaves and 0.57 in soil samples. These values are lower than the worldwide average limit which is 1. The mean value of absorbed dose rate in the soil sample is slightly higher than the world acceptable value but, on the other hand, the radiological hazard parameters for soil samples were lower than the recommended world average values. Therefore, from the radiological point of view, this study concludes that the soil and tea leaves at Gumero tea farm cannot caused any hazardous health effects to inhabitants by the consumption of Gumero tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work is to the assess the natural radioactivity levels and radiation hazard of ancient Harar city, Jugal. The soil samples were taken from ten different sites around the Jugal. Estimation of background radiation was carried out using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry. The specific activity of 40K, 238U and 232Th in soil samples were obtained in the range between 254.64±11.614 Bq/kg to 330.83±14,73 Bq/kg, 12.84±0.952 Bq/kg to 30.22±2.135 Bq/kg and 34.25±2.47 Bq/kg to 124.91±8.622 Bq/kg, with the average value of 261.63±11.00 Bq/kg, 17.26±2.07 Bq/kg and 77.92±5.80 Bq/kg respectively. The radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose estimated ranged from 83.22 Bq/kg to 234.32 Bq/kg, 38.165 to 103.202 nGy/h, 0.187 to 0.506 mSv/y, respectively. The internal and external hazard indices, gamma index estimated ranged from 0.292 to 0.817 and 0.261 to 0.714, 0.225 to 0.633, respectively. The annual gonad dose equivalent 269.57 µSv/y to 719.38 µSv/y, respectively. The results of soil examined in the ancient city show no significant radiological hazard arise from the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundPsychosocial distress is a chronic burden for cancer survivors, which impacts both their quality of life and their oncologic prognosis. Although the national cancer prevention and control program in Ethiopia has made efforts in cancer prevention, control, and management by implementing the national cancer control plan 2016–2020, there was no enough evidence about psychosocial distress among adult cancer patients. So, it is critical to understand the magnitude of psychosocial distress and the factors that contribute to it.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of psychosocial distress and associated factors among adult cancer patients at oncology units in the Amhara regional state, Ethiopia. 2022.MethodsA multicenter institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 605 adult cancer patients from 30 April to 22 June 2022. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select the study units. In addition, data were collected through interviewers administered questionnaires by using the validated and pretested tools. Distress was assessed using the Questionnaire on Stress in Cancer Patients Revised 10. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to describe the association between dependent and independent variables. Independent variable with p < 0.25 in the bivariable logistic regression analyses were entered into multivariable logistic regression model. Variables with p

The purpose of this work is to study specific activity of natural radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K in different water sample locations of Dire Dawa city. The samples were collected from groundwater resources of the city in two different seasons. High resolution gamma ray spectrometry was used to assess the natural radioactivity levels concentration of, and to measure the annual effective does, radium equivalent, absorbed dose rate, external hazard and internal hazard. The result revealed that the range of radioactivity level concentration in summer season of 4.30-6.01 Bq⋅L-1, 3.75-12.74 Bq⋅L-1, 3.04-122.48 Bq⋅L-1, for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K respectively. For the sample that was collected in winter season the range of radioactivity level concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K are 0.70-6.02 Bq⋅L-1, 1.11-9.72 Bq⋅L-1 and 12.2-134 Bq⋅L-1 respectively. The outdoor absorbed dose rate varies from 0.006 to 0.019 nGy⋅h-1 with an average of 0.014 ± 0.032. The effective radium equivalent specific activity concentration is peak in summer than in winter season in one of the groundwaters. The activity level of the radioactivity elements was lower than the world average values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of the level of radioactivity from radionuclides in soil is important for the assessment of the exposure to natural radiation. Sixteen samples from soil were collected from different sites of Dire Dawa city and the level of natural radioactivity was measured using gamma-ray spectrometry based on a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. Radiation hazard indices were calculated to evaluate the radiological risk for the public and environment. The results show that the mean value of radium equivalent activity is 246.5±9.6 Bq·kg-1, while the values of absorbed dose rate and annual effective dose equivalent are 73 nGy·h-1 and 89.72 mSv·y-1 respectively. The values of external and internal health hazard indices are 0.12 and 0.83 respectively which is less than the permitted values in all samples, while the values of gamma index is 0.59 is less than the permitted limit. In general, there are no harmful radiations effects posed to the population who lives in the study area; however, that exceed the internationally accepted values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports specific activity levels from the naturally occurring radionuclides 232Th, 238U and 40K, in various geological formations of Dire Dawa city, Ethiopia. High resolution gamma ray spectrometry was used to assess the natural radioactivity levels concentration of 238U, 232Th and 40K of soil samples. A total of 16 samples were collected from the city. The result revealed that the mean value of the specific activity ranged from 6.10±0.53 to 30.00±1.35 Bq·kg−1 for Uranium-238 (238U), 12.56±0.73 to 102.46±4.63 Bq·kg−1 for Thorium-232 (232Th) and 98.73±4.53 to 1182.83±49.11 Bq·kg−1 for Potassium-40 (40K), with mean values of 19.97±2.42 Bq·kg−1, 56.38±4.50 Bq·kg−1 and 716.59±68.43 Bq·kg−1, respectively. The results of this study revealed an area of low gamma emitting radionuclides, which could not lead to significant health hazard to the exposed people. On average, there are no harmful radiations effects posed to the population who live in the study area; however, there are some spots in which the level of radioactivity is higher than the internationally allowable threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) characterized by the absence of detectable HBsAg in the presence of HBV DNA in the serum and/or liver tissue remains a potential risk of transmission and diseases progression among different population groups. It could be associated with asymptomatic case up to chronic liver disease (CLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude and characteristics of OBI among patients with CLD of unidentified cause in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study was conducted at the gastroenterology & hepatology referral clinic of three government and two private hospitals in Addis Ababa. Known CLD patients as evidenced by clinical and imaging criteria and/or with HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) negative results using rapid test kit were included. ELISA serological test to anti-HBc Ab, anti HBsAg Ab, and HBsAg were determined using BIORAD kits [ https://www.bio-rad.com ]. HBV-DNA was amplified, and viral loads were determined by quantitative real-time PCR using Abbott m2000rt platform following the manufacturer's instructions. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.A total of 48 CLD patients with no identified cause for their liver disease were identified during the study period. All the patients had evidence of CLD by clinical and imaging criteria and nine were excluded. Three (7.69%) of the 39 patients tested positive for HBsAg test done by ELISA making the negative predictive value of the rapid test kits 92.3% compared to ELISA. The remaining 36 patients had serology test for HBV and 16 (44.4%) had positive anti-HBV core antibody. Two (5.56%) of the 36 patients with HBV viral load determination had detectable HBV DNA suggesting presence of an occult hepatitis B infection. Occult hepatitis B infection is found to be an aetiology among CLD patients labelled as having no identified cause by the current standard of care using rapid HBsAg kits in a subset of patients in Ethiopia. This study signifies the high rate of OBI and past evidence of HBV infection among CLD patients and thus nucleic acid testing and/or anti-HBc shall be integrated to the routine health care system to minimize HBV infection risk of transmission and to enhance patient care.

The road traffic is one of the main sources of noise pollution in the urban area. The main purpose of this study was to measure the ambient noise fluctuation levels in five selected sites of Dire Dawa city. The study reports traffic noise fluctuations during the day and night since the city is an industrial corridor and it is used as a dry port for the country. The noise level was measured after the standard measure followed by standard calibrated devices. The variations of the equivalent noise levels were represented in figures and the total annoyance of the noise levels was calculated and shown in Table 1. The results revealed that the highest annoyance and the equivalent noise levels at Delchora hospitals were 83.15 dB and 85.20 dB respectively in the morning. However, the noise pollution level (LNP) at Delchora Hospital during the morning is greater than in the afternoon. The minimum noise levels were measured in the residence of MA hotel 24.77 dB with the standard deviation of 0.10 in the morning time interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise pollution consists of any unwanted sound from various sources with numerous effects. Urban noise pollution is one of the challenges of those people that live in the urban area and which causes health and social problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the people perception on major noise source and its impact on health at Dire Dawa city, Ethiopia. Cross-sectional study method and purposive random sampling were applied as well as structured pre-tested questionnaire was developed. The result of this study revealed that the major sources of noise in the city were vehicles, such as three wheel vehicles, automobiles, and trucks. One of the major findings of this study was that people perceptions of noise pollution do not depend on the intensity level of sound, but merely on the people's interest for that sound. For instance, the noise source from the religious institute was not considered as a noise for the follower of that religion, but it was considered as a noise pollution for others. Moreover, the noise source from recreation centers was not considered as noise pollution for most respondents. Another important finding of this study was the sensory adaptation to the noise of the people. For the people who have lived for a long time around one type of noise source, that noise was not considered as noise pollution, but it was considered as noise pollution for the newcomers. These two important findings of this study disagree with the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for Community Noise and health risks associated with noise pollution [26]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and study aims Limited evidence suggests that endoscopy capacity in sub-Saharan Africa is insufficient to meet the levels of gastrointestinal disease. We aimed to quantify the human and material resources for endoscopy services in eastern African countries, and to identify barriers to expanding endoscopy capacity. Patients and methods In partnership with national professional societies, digestive healthcare professionals in participating countries were invited to complete an online survey between August 2018 and August 2020. Results Of 344 digestive healthcare professionals in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia, 87 (25.3 %) completed the survey, reporting data for 91 healthcare facilities and identifying 20 additional facilities. Most respondents (73.6 %) perform endoscopy and 59.8 % perform at least one therapeutic modality. Facilities have a median of two functioning gastroscopes and one functioning colonoscope each. Overall endoscopy capacity, adjusted for non-response and additional facilities, includes 0.12 endoscopists, 0.12 gastroscopes, and 0.09 colonoscopes per 100,000 population in the participating countries. Adjusted maximum upper gastrointestinal and lower gastrointestinal endoscopic capacity were 106 and 45 procedures per 100,000 persons per year, respectively. These values are 1 % to 10 % of those reported from resource-rich countries. Most respondents identified a lack of endoscopic equipment, lack of trained endoscopists and costs as barriers to provision of endoscopy services. Conclusions Endoscopy capacity is severely limited in eastern sub-Saharan Africa, despite a high burden of gastrointestinal disease. Expanding capacity requires investment in additional human and material resources, and technological innovations that improve the cost and sustainability of endoscopic services.

Abstract Objectives Empirical selections of antimicrobial therapy based on clinical observations are common clinical practices in Ethiopia. This study identified common external ocular infections and determined antibiotic susceptibility testing in northwest Ethiopia. Results Among 210 patients studied, conjunctivitis 32.9%(69), blepharitis 26.7%(56), dacryocystitis 14.8%(51), blepharoconjunctivitis 11.9%(25), and trauma 10.0%(21) were the most common external ocular infections. Pathogenic bacteria were isolated among 62.4%(131) cases. The distributions of bacteria detected in conjunctivitis, dacryocystitis, and blepharitis patients were 32.8%(43), 23.7%(31), and 16.0%(21), respectively. The most prevalent isolates were coagulase negative Staphylococci; 27.5%(36), S. aureus; 26.7%(35), Pseudomonas species; 10.7%(14), and E. coli; 7.6%(10). Tetracycline, amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, and nalidic acid showed resistance to bacterial isolates with a respective prevalence of 35.9%(47), 32.1%(42), 26.2%(34), 25.2%(33), and 23.7%(31). Multi-drug resistance patterns to the commonly prescribed antibiotics tested was 20.6%(27), 18.3%(24), 17.6%(23), 5.3%(7), and 4.6%(6) to two, three, four, five, and six antibiotics, respectively. Overall, the multi-drug resistance prevalence rate was 66.4%(87). This study confirmed diverse types of external ocular manifestations associated with bacterial infections with wide ranges of antibiotic resistant phenotypes. Thus, combining clinical information, bacteriological analysis, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests are useful for making an evidence-based selection of antibiotics therapy.

Abstract Objectives As the hospital environment favors the circulation of drug resistant bacteria, continuous surveillance of antibiotic resistant patterns is an important approach for a better patient management. This study is therefore, aimed to assess multidrug resistant bacterial isolates from patients suspected of nosocomial infections at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. Results Of the 260 patients, 173 (66.5%) of them were culture positive. Among culture positive patients a total of 216 bacterial isolates were recovered, of which the most common species were S. aureus 77 (35.6%), followed by E. coli 33 (15.3%) and Klebsiella spp 29 (13.4%). Of the S. aureus isolates, 67.5% were cefoxitin (methicillin) resistant. Citrobacter spp (100%), Klebsiella spp (79.3%) and E. coli (75.3%) were the leading MDR Gram-negative isolates. The overall MDR resistant rate was 152 (70.4%).

Abstract Background Enterococci become clinically important especially in immune compromised patients and important causes of nosocomial infections. Data on the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and associated factors of enterococci are scarce in Ethiopia. Methods A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital from February 28, 2014 to May 1, 2014. Pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and possible associated factors of enterococci infections. Clinical samples including urine, blood, wound swabs and other body fluids from patients requested by physician for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility test during the study period were included. A total of 385 patients were included in the study. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS Version 20. P values

BackgroundIn endemic regions, asymptomatic Leishmania infection is common. In HIV patients, detection of asymptomatic Leishmania infection could potentially identify those at risk of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). However, data on the prevalence, incidence, and determinants of asymptomatic infection, and the risk of VL are lacking.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey at a single ART centre, followed by a prospective cohort study amongst HIV-infected adults in HIV care in a district hospital in a VL-endemic area in North-West Ethiopia (9/2015-8/2016). Asymptomatic Leishmania infection was detected using the direct agglutination test (DAT), rK39-rapid diagnostic test (RDT)), PCR on peripheral blood and the KAtex urine antigen test, and defined as positivity on any Leishmania marker. All individuals were followed longitudinally (irrespective of the Leishmania test results). Risk factors for asymptomatic Leishmania infection were determined using logistic regression.ResultsA total of 534 HIV-infected individuals enrolled in HIV care were included in the study. After excluding 13 patients with a history of VL and an 10 patients with incomplete baseline Leishmania tests, 511 were included in analysis. The median age was 38 years (interquartile range (IQR) 30-45), 62.6% were male. The median follow-up time was 12 months (IQR 9-12). No deaths were reported during the study period. Most (95.5%) were on antiretroviral treatment at enrolment, for a median of 52 months (IQR 27-79). The median CD4 count at enrolment was 377 cells/mm3 (IQR 250-518). The baseline prevalence of Leishmania infection was 12.8% in males and 4.2% in females. Overall, 7.4% tested positive for rK39, 4.3% for DAT, 0.2% for PCR and 0.2% for KAtex. Independent risk factors for a prevalent infection were male sex (odds ratio (OR) 3.2; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 14-7.0) and concurrent malaria infection (OR 6.1; 95% CI 1.9-18.9). Amongst the 49 prevalent (baseline) infections with further follow-up, the cumulative incidence of losing the Leishmania markers by one year was 40.1%. There were 36 incident infections during the course of the study, with a cumulative one-year risk of 9.5%. Only one case of VL was detected during follow-up.ConclusionsWe found a high prevalence of asymptomatic Leishmania infection, persisting in most cases. The incidence was more modest and overt VL was rare. Larger and longer studies with more complete follow-up may help to decide whether a test and treat strategy would be justified in this context.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02839603.

A time cartogram visualizes travelling-times between locations. It replaces the geographic distance by time distance and distorts the underlyingmap accordingly. By distorting themap, time cartogramsmay give a more intuitive and clear picture of travelling-times. The distortion of the map, however, can make time cartograms harder to recognize and use. Although cartograms are becoming widespread in use, very little is known about their usability. This study focuses on the usability of centered time cartograms: time cartograms that visualize travellingtimes from a fixed starting location to other destinations in a region. We created several centered time cartograms to answer spatio-temporal questions related to the Dutch railway network. Two experiments were performed: a laboratory test and an online survey. In the laboratory test, we used eye-tracking, thinking aloud, and video-recording to compare four different designs of centered time cartograms to find out which one (or combination) of these performs better in answering spatiotemporal questions and thus, to establish a favorable design strategy for these cartograms. In the online survey, centered time cartograms were evaluated against a geographic and schematic map for accuracy, response time, and preference. The first experiment suggested that among various designs, the centered time cartogram with emphasized railroads is the most preferred design and the centered time cartogram without railroads is the least preferred. The second experiment indicated that overall, centered time cartograms perform better than the two other solutions in performing spatio-temporal tasks, particularly when the task has a dominant time-related component.

Sepsis is one of the major causes and predictors of death in patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Globally, incidence rate of sepsis ranged from 56–91 cases per 100 000 people, with a mortality rate of 30%. Incidence of sepsis has been raised due to aging of the population and the higher incidence of immunosuppressive conditions such as HIV, VL and others. The prevalence of sepsis was reported from 4.2% to 32.3% and 14.1% in VL and VL-HIV coinfected patients, respectively. The mortality rate of VL patients with sepsis is greater than 50%. Factors associated with sepsis in VL patients are immune suppression, pancytopenia, HIV co-infection, age 40 years old, indwelling of central venous lines and hospitalization. Although antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were not well reported, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from patients with VL. So far, limited information is available on sepsis in VL, especially in VL-HIV coinfected patients. Therefore, further studies about sepsis prevalence, causative agents and their antibiotic patterns, and associated factors among VL and VL-HIV coinfected patients are necessary. This review provides information about bacterial sepsis in patients with VL.

Background. The widespread uses of antibiotics, together with the length of time over which they have been available, have led to the emergence of resistant bacterial pathogens contributing to morbidity and mortality. This study was aimed to assess bacterial isolates and their drug susceptibility patterns from inpatients and outpatients with pus and/or wound discharge. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital from March to May, 2014. Wound swab samples were collected from each study participant and inoculated into appropriate media. The bacterial pathogens were identified using standard microbiological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using disk diffusion technique following Kirby-Bauer method. Results. A total of 137 study subjects were included in the study with bacterial isolation rate of 115 (83.9%). Of all, 81 (59.1%) were males. Seventy-seven (57%) of the isolates were Gram-negative and 59 (43%) were Gram-positive. From the total isolates, Staphylococcus aureus was the most predominant isolate 39/115 (34%) followed by Klebsiella species (13%), coagulase negative staphylococci spp. (12%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Gram-positive isolates were resistant to ampicillin (86.4%), amoxicillin (83%), penicillin (81.3%), oxacillin (74.6%), and tetracycline (59.4%), while Gram-negative isolates were resistant to amoxicillin (97.4%), ampicillin (94.8%), tetracycline (72.7%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (66%), and chloramphenicol (54.5%). Conclusion. High prevalence of bacterial isolates was found, Staphylococcus aureus being the most dominant. High rates of multiple drug resistance pathogens to the commonly used antimicrobial agents were isolated. Therefore, concerned bodies should properly monitor the choice of antibiotics to be used as prophylaxis and empiric treatment in the study area.

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a major public health problem among immunocompromised individuals. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection among pregnant women with and out HIV infections. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among consecutive 385 pregnant women attended Antenatal Clinic from May 2010 to October 2011 at the Gondar University Teaching Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Venous blood was collected from each pregnant woman for testing HIV-1/2 and anti- Toxoplasma antibodies using rapid test kits. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20 statistical package. Results: The overall magnitude of T. gondii and HIV was 88.6% (341/385) and 11.2% (43/385), respectively. The seroprevalence of T. gondii was not different among HIV infected and non-infected pregnant women (88.4%, 38/ 43 vs. 88.6%, 303/342). Keeping cats in house showed statistically significant association with seropositivity of toxoplasmosis (P

Background. Intestinal schistosomiasis is one of the most widespread parasitic infections in tropical and subtropical countries. Objective. To determine the prevalence of S. mansoni infection and associated determinant factors among school children in Sanja Town, northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March, 2013. 385 school children were selected using stratified proportionate systematic sampling technique. Pretested questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data and associated determinant factors. Stool samples were examinedusing formol-ether concentration and Kato-Katz technique. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 20.0 statistical software. Multivariate logistic regression was done for assessing associated risk factors and proportions for categorical variables were compared using chi-square test. P values less than 0.05 were taken as statistically significant. Results. The prevalence of S. mansoni infection was 89.9% (n=346). The overall helminthic infection in this study was 96.6% (n=372). Swimming in the river, washing clothes and utensil using river water, crossing the river with bare foot, and fishing activities showed significant association with the occurrence of S. mansoni infection. Conclusion. Schistosoma mansoni infection was high in the study area. Therefore, mass deworming at least twice a year and health education for community are needed.

Bacteremia due to Shigella is rare. A 26-year-old HIV-negative male presented with a persistent high-grade fever of two months duration to the Leishmaniasis Research and Treatment Center of University of Gondar Hospital. He was anorexic and had lost significant weight (from 76 to 57 kg in 4 months, BMI = 17.2 kg/m2). He also complained of headache, chills, and rigor. In the last one year, he was experiencing a few episodes of acute bloody diarrhea, the last episode being two months ago. Microscopy from splenic aspiration showed Leishman-Donovan bodies with parasite load of +3. The blood culture showed Shigella species, but the stool was culture negative. The isolate was sensitive to most tested antibiotic discs, sulfamethoxazole, ceftriaxone, gentamicin, tetracycline, and norfloxacilin, except ampicillin. Therefore, requesting blood culture for identifying unexpected type of organisms causing infections in patients with underlying diseases like visceral leishmaniasis should be encouraged.

Maize productivity has been increasing through the years due to increased use of inorganic fertilizers. However, the price and environmental impact has brought lack of interest among the farmers. Thus, this study was aimed at evaluating the growth, yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of maize varieties under cattle urine application. The field experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment consisted of four treatments viz. Control, 100 and 50 % cattle urine and recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer. The results demonstrated a comparable growth and grain yield increment due to 100 % cattle urine and recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer. The difference between the two varieties in growth, yield and related traits, and NUE indices due to fertilizer applications was non-significant. The leaf area of maize nourished with 100, 50 % cattle urine and recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer increased by 11.15, 9.73 and 9.78 folds, respectively, in two months period relative to the controls. Fertilized plants had significantly (p < 0.05) higher grain yield (GY). The use of 100, 50 % cattle urine and inorganic fertilizers resulted in 526.76, 326.12, 542.91 % and 47.83, 36.03, 49.78 % increment in average GY and aboveground biomass, respectively, compared to controls. Similarly, plants fertilized with 50 % cattle urine showed an average GY reduction of 39.87 and 38.10 % compared to the recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer and 100 % cattle urine, respectively. The use of 50 % cattle urine produced significantly higher NUE, N agronomic efficiency (NAE), N recovery efficiency (NRE) and internal efficiency (IE). Higher GY kg -1 of N applied was obtained from cattle urine applications. In a nutshell, the results confirmed the potential of cattle urine as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers in maize production. However, further studies on optimization of the cattle urine rate and scale up works are recommended., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objective: To determine the effect of craniocerebral hypothermia (CCH) on neurological deficit regression, hemodynamics, fever and functional outcome of therapy in patients with moderate ischemic stroke (IS)., Material and Methods: This study included 60 patients with IS (the first day). The main group consisted of 30 patients who underwent CCH, and the comparison (control) group consisted of 30 patients without CCH. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), the modified Rankin Scale (mRs) were used. Recorded parameters were mortality, heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), axial temperature, cerebral temperature of the frontal cortex. Cerebral temperature was obtained noninvasively by using a RTM-01-RES radiothermometer (Russia). CCH (for 24 hours) in the main group was implemented by ATG-01 device (Russia). Results were recorded on the day of admission, after 24 hours and at discharge. In both groups, basic neuroprotective, hypotensive, antiplatelet and antiedemic therapy was administered., Results: No fatal outcomes were reported in both groups. Side-effects and complications of CCH were not recorded. In the main group, neurological deficit assessed by NIHSS decreased by 75% after the CCH procedure and by 93.75% at the time of discharge from the hospital. In patients of the comparison group, regression of neurological deficit was 35% on the second day and 55% at the day of discharge. The use of CCH suppressed systemic and cerebral hyperthermia. Functional outcome of therapy in the main group was higher compared to the comparison one. The dynamics in blood pressure and heart rate didn't differ in both groups., Conclusion: A pronounced positive effect of CCH on the course of the acute period and therapy results in patients with IS was demonstrated.

Introduction: Car sickness is the state of being unhealthy as a result of motions that occur while traveling by vehicles. Passengers traveled by vehicles had experienced car sickness not only as a result of the biological effects but also other associated factors. Therefore, this study aimed to identify sociocultural, individual behavioral factors and situational factors resulting in car sickness of passengers traveling by minibus or bus or both., Methods: This study was designed in a cross-sectional study and employed a quantitative approach to collect data among 384 passengers. Primary data were collected by a survey method. Both adult male and female passengers without any confirmed disease participated in the study. Car sickness was measured as whether a passenger traveling by vehicle in the past six months had at least one of the signs and symptoms either vomiting, nausea, headache, and (cold) sweating. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and binary logistic regression. The multivariate logistic regression model was employed and used to execute the associated risk factors by declaring all statistical tests significantly at p -value ≤0.05., Results: The results indicated that being older (aOR = 0.972, 95% CI: 0.947, 0.999) and male passengers (aOR = 0.357, 95% CI: 0.190, 0.673) significantly decreased occurrences of car sickness. However, sleep deprivation (aOR = 8.540, 95% CI: 2.575, 28.328), eating heavy meals before starting traveling (aOR = 4.147, 95% CI: 1.659, 10.366), the aggressiveness of drivers (aOR = 5.467, 95% CI: 2.456, 12.172), and travel with other passengers in overcrowded vehicles (aOR = 9.5212, 95% CI: 5.194, 17.455) were significantly contributed to car sickness., Conclusions: The findings suggested that younger passengers should take medications that reduce the sensation of car sickness before starting traveling and female passengers should reduce unpaid domestic work before their travels. In order to prevent or reduce the sensation of car sickness, passengers should take enough physical rest, sleep well, and avoid eating heavy meals before a journey. Furthermore, passengers should strongly advise or kindly request aggressive drivers to drive slowly and uniformly. Last, the passengers should avoid traveling with other passengers in overcrowded vehicles as much as possible., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zelalem Tadese et al.)

Introduction: Depression and low quality of life are severe conditions that lead to disability and mortality, common in high and low-resourced countries. Therefore, this study aimed to assess geriatric depression, quality of life, and associated factors among elderly persons in the low-resource country., Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was used from March to April 2020. The depression and quality of life were assessed using the standardized and pre-tested geriatric depression scale (GDS) and the World Health Organization Quality Of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF, respectively. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select woreda and study participants. For data input and analysis, Epi-data version 4.3 and SPSS version 23 were utilized, consecutively. Bivariable and multivariable in the logistic regression analysis were done, and significance was determined at the odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and P value < 0.05., Results: A total of 822 elderly persons participated in face to face interviewed-administered questionnaire. More than half 54.5% (n = 448) of elderly persons had depression and 51.8% (n = 426) of elderly participants had low quality of life. Advanced age, single participants, not having a formal education, living alone, and having chronic diseases were significantly associated with both the depression symptoms and low overall WHOQOL-BREF. Depression was correlated with low quality of life., Conclusion: We found that elderly persons have a high risk of depression symptoms and a low quality of life. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health should develop psychological interventions, providing ongoing education for the elderly, and monitoring the health of the elderly population to address the specific needs of elderly persons who have been impacted by the aging process., (© 2021. The Author(s).)