An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Zay people in Ethiopia

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out to collect information on the use of medicinal plants by the Zay people who live on islands as well as shore areas of Lake Ziway in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. A total of 33 medicinal plants were reported as being used locally for the treatment and/or control of human and livestock ailments. Results of the survey showed that leaf materials form the major component of plant parts harvested. The majority of the remedies are prepared in the form of juice from freshly collected plant parts. Most of the remedies are prepared from a single species, and are mainly taken orally. Most of the medicinal plants are collected from the wild. Of the total claimed medicinal plants, 10 were reported scarce locally. Environmental degradation and intense deforestation have been reported as the main causes for the depletion of medicinal plants in the area. As the Zay people are still partly dependent on medicinal plants, loss of these plants will, to a certain extent, hamper the existing health care system in the area. Measures for conservation of medicinal plants of the Zay people are urgently needed.     

Risk factors for multidrug resistant tuberculosis patients in Amhara National Regional State

Background

Multidrug resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB) is becoming a major threat to tuberculosis control programs in Ethiopia.

Objectives

To determine risk factors of MDR-TB patients in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia.

Methods

Case-control study was conducted from May 2013 to January 2014. Resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid were done molecularly using line probe assay. TB patients infected with MDR-M.tuberculosis and non MDR-M.tuberculosis strain were considered as cases and controls, respectively. Data was collected using structured questionnaire with face to face interview. Patients'' clinical record review was also done.Multivariate analysis was computed to determine the risk factors of MDR-TB.

Results

A total of 153 MDR-TB and equal number of non MDR-TB patients'' participated in the study. Patients who had TB treatment failure (AOR=13.5,CI=2.69–70), cavitations on chest x-ray (AOR=1.9,CI=1.1–3.38) and contact with MDR-TB patients (AOR=1.4,CI=0.19–0.39) were more likely to be MDR-TB patients. Low monthly income (AOR=1.1,CI=0.34–0.47),alcohol consumption (AOR=1.5,CI=0.2–0.98) and young age (AOR=2.9,CI=1.07–7.68) were the other risk factors of MDR-TB.

Conclusions

TB treatment failure, cavitation on chest X-ray, contact with MDR-TB patients and low socioeconomic status were important risk factors for development of MDR-TB. Therefore, strict adherence to directly observed therapy, appropriate management of TB patients and advice on the value of nutrients are helpful to control the spreading of MDR-TB.     

Visual Outcome of the First 500 Cataract Extractions Done in the Field; Jimma,Ethiopia

In 1998, a total of 617 cataract operations were performed on 523 patients at five outreach sites in Jimma Zone; south-western Ethiopia. The first 500 consecutive operations performed on 423 patients were analysed for visual outcome two weeks following field surgery. Four hundred and seventy-seven eyes underwent standard intra capsular cataract extraction (ICCE) while 23 eyes underwent extra capsular cataract extraction (ECCE). Seventy-seven patients underwent bilateral cataract surgery while 346 patients had been operated on only one eye. Forty-two patients (10.1%) or eighty-one eyes were lost for follow up. Thirty-nine of the 77 patients (50.6%) who received bilateral surgery and only 3 of 346 patients (0.9%) who received unilateral surgery were lost for follow up. Seventy-seven eyes (18.4%) had final visual acuity (v/a) of 6/18; 388 eyes (92.6%) had v/a of 6/60 and 395 eyes (94.3%) had v/a 3/60. Capsule rupture and vitreous loss were the most common intra operative complications, accounting for 7.4% and 6%, respectively. Both complications were encountered in 1.8% of the eyes. Twenty-four eyes (5.7%) were blind despite surgery. However, only three eyes were blind as a result of complications related to surgery. There is a need for improvement in the screening of patients for surgery. The overall visual outcome obtained was satisfactory. Possible factors affecting visual outcome are considered and recommendations to effect improvement discussed.     

Newborn colonization and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptococcus agalactiae</Emphasis> at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital,Northwest Ethiopia

Background

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) that asymptomatically colonizing the recto-vaginal area of women is the most important cause of neonatal colonization. There is paucity of evidence about newborn colonization with GBS in Ethiopia. Thus, this study was aimed to determine the prevalence of newborn colonization with GBS, antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates and associated risk factors at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital in Northwest Ethiopia

Methods

A prospective cross sectional study was conducted from December 2016 to November 2017. A total of 1,155 swabs from nasal, ear and umbilical areas of the newborns were collected from the 385 newborns. Identifications of the isolates and antibiotic susceptibility testing were done by using conventional methods.

Results

Sixty two (16.1%, 95% CI: 12.2% - 20%) of the newborns were colonized by GBS. Seven percent of the total specimens were positive for GBS. The antibiotics susceptibility rates of GBS (average of the three body sites tested) were 95.1%, 89.6%, 88.9%, 85.7%, 85.3%, 81.3%, 76.9%, 76.1%, 73.8%, and 34.4% to ampicillin, penicillin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin, azitromycin, erythromycin, clindamycin, ceftriaxone, and tetracycline, respectively. A multilogistic regression analyses were shown that the newborns that were from mothers whose education status was below tertiary level, and newborns from mothers who were: being employed, being nullipara and multigravida were at risk for colonization with GBS.

Conclusion

Prevalence of neonatal colonization with GBS was higher than it was reported in three decades ago in Ethiopia. Ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin and azithromycin were identified as the drug of choice next to ampicillin and penicillin.

     

The Association between Latrine Use and Trachoma: A Secondary Cohort Analysis from a Randomized Clinical Trial

Latrine use has been promoted as a component of an integrated strategy for trachoma control. As part of a randomized trial in Ethiopia, 12 communities received a mass azithromycin distribution followed by a latrine promotion intervention. A random sample of children ages 0–9 years in each community was monitored longitudinally for ocular chlamydia. After latrine construction ended, those communities with a higher proportion of households using latrines were more likely to experience a reduction in the prevalence of ocular chlamydia. Specifically, for each 10% increase in latrine use, there was a 2.0% decrease (95% confidence interval = 0.2–3.9% decrease) in the community prevalence of ocular chlamydia over the subsequent year (P = 0.04).     

Fluoride intake in children living in a high-fluoride area in Ethiopia - intake through beverages

Summary. Introduction. The present study was conducted in Wonji Shoa, a sugar estate in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Drinking water in the area is provided either by the Awash River or by high‐fluoride ground water wells. Defluoridation plants have been installed, but are not in regular use, and fluorosis, dental as well as skeletal, is endemic. The aim of this study was to assess daily fluoride intake from drinking water and beverages in children from neighbouring villages with varying fluoride concentration in the drinking water. Subjects and methods. Thirty families were selected from two of the plantation villages (A and K). The criterion for being included in the project was the presence in the household of at least one child, fully weaned and below the age of 5 years. For sampling of beverages, the duplicate portion technique was used. The fluoride concentration in the beverage samples was determined using standard methods, using a fluoride ion‐selective electrode. Results. Ten of the selected households in Village A fetched water from the Awash River (1·8 mg F^?/L) while five relied upon water from a local well (2·1 mg F^?/L). All 15 households in Village K used water from a local well with fluoride concentration of 14·4 mg/L. The mean daily fluoride intake from drinking water and beverages during the four days, varied from 1·2 to 1·5 mg and 5·9 to 8·8 mg in Village A and K, respectively. Low variety in types of beverages consumed was reported both during the study period and through the questionnaire. Only local water was used for beverage preparation. Children who consumed milk had a reduced fluoride intake. Tea, which was part of the children's diet, was not found to be a main source of fluoride. Conclusion. A2n effective defluoridation of the drinking water or a change of water source would seem to be the only options for avoidance of dental and possibly skeletal fluorosis.     

High prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, Swaziland, 2009-2010

In Africa, although emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) represents a serious threat in countries severely affected by the HIV epidemic, most countries lack drug-resistant TB data. This finding was particularly true in the Kingdom of Swaziland, which has the world's highest HIV and TB prevalences. Therefore, we conducted a national survey in 2009-2010 to measure prevalence of drug-resistant TB. Of 988 patients screened, 420 new case-patients and 420 previously treated case-patients met the study criteria. Among culture-positive patients, 15.3% new case-patients and 49.5% previously treated case-patients harbored drug-resistant strains. MDR TB prevalence was 7.7% and 33.8% among new case-patients and previously treated case-patients, respectively. HIV infection and past TB treatment were independently associated with MDR TB. The findings assert the need for wide-scale intervention in resource-limited contexts such as Swaziland, where diagnostic and treatment facilities and health personnel are lacking.     

Comparison of Parascreen Pan/Pf, Paracheck Pf and light microscopy for detection of malaria among febrile patients, Northwest Ethiopia

Two malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), Parascreen Pan/Pf^® and Paracheck Pf^®, were tested in rural health centres in Ethiopia against independent expert microscopy (the gold standard). Participants (n =1997) presented with presumptive malaria to ten health centers in Amhara Regional State during the 2007 peak malaria season (October to December). By microscopy, 475 (23.8%) suspected malaria cases were positive, of which 57.7% were P. falciparum; 24.6% P. vivax and 17.7% mixed infections. Parascreen and Paracheck were positive for 442 (22.1%) and 277 (13.9%) febrile patients, respectively. For Parascreen, P. falciparum sensitivity was 79.6%, specificity 97.4%, positive predictive value (PPV) 86.9%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 95.6%. For Parascreen, P. vivax sensitivity was 74.4%, specificity 98.6%, PPV 76.3% and NPV 98.4%. For Paracheck, P. falciparum sensitivity was 73.7%, specificity 99.2%, PPV 95.3%, NPV 94.5%. Sensitivity was significantly higher for both tests (P < 0.05) when parasite density was >100/μl of blood; in these cases Parascreen was 90.7% and 91.5% sensitive for P. falciparum and P. vivax, respectively, while Paracheck was 87.9% sensitive for P. falciparum. Parascreen thus performed adequately for both P. falciparum and P. vivax compared to expert microscopy and is more useful than Paracheck where microscopy is unavailable.     

Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Toxoplasma gondii in Pregnant Women Attending in Northwest Ethiopia

Background

Toxoplasmosis is a major public health problem among immuno-compromised 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<0.05).

Conclusion

Irrespective of HIV infection, high rate of T. gondii was detected among pregnant women. These high prevalences indicate the need for an intensified public health awareness to reduce both infections.