Antibiogram of E. coli serotypes isolated from children aged under five with acute diarrhea in Bahir Dar town

Background

Diarrheal disease and its complications remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. The prevalence and antibiogram of E. coli as causative agents of diarrhea vary from region to region, and even within countries in the same geographical area.

Objectives

To determine the serotype and antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli in children under-five years of age.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 children with diarrhea from December 2011 to February 2012. Identification of E. coli and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were done following standard procedures.

Results

The overall isolation rate of E. coli was 48.3%. Poly 2 sero-groups, poly 3 sero-groups, poly 4 sero-groups and E. coli O157:H7 accounted for 80 (39.2%), 40 (19.6%), 25 (12.3%), and 59 (28.9%) of the isolates, respectively. Poly 2 sero-groups, constituting isolates belonging to enteropathogenic E. coli were the most commonly isolated serotypes. E. coli exhibited high levels of antimicrobial resistance to ampicillin (86.8%), tetracycline (76%) and cotrimoxazole (76%). Low levels of resistance to ciprofloxacin (6.9%) and norfloxacin (9.3%) were documented.

Conclusion

High prevalence of diarrheagenic E. coli compounded by alarming antimicrobial resistances is a serious public health problem. Regular determination of antibiogram and public education are recommended.     

The Sanitary Conditions of Food Service Establishments and Food Safety Knowledge and Practices of Food Handlers in Bahir Dar Town

Background

Lack of basic infrastructure, poor knowledge of hygiene and practices in food service establishments can contribute to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. The aims of this study were to investigate the food safety knowledge and practices of food handlers and to assess the sanitary conditions of food service establishments in Bahir Dar town.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bahir Dar in May 2011 and data were collected using questionnaire and observation checklist on employees'' knowledge of food hygiene and their practices as well on sanitary conditions of the food service establishments

Results

The median age of the food handlers was 22 years and among the 455 subjects 99 (21.8%) have had food hygiene training. Sixty six percent of the establishments had flush toilets whereas 5.9% of the establishment had no toilet. Only 149 (33.6%) of the establishments had a proper solid waste collection receptacle and there was statistically significant association between the sanitary conditions and license status of the establishments (p=0.01). Most of all, knowledge gap in food hygiene and handling practice was observed. In addition, there was statistically significant difference between trained (professional) handlers and non-trained handlers with regard to food hygiene practices (p<0.05). While more than 50% of the handlers prepare meals ahead of the peak selling time, more than 50% of the left over was poorly managed.

Conclusion

This study revealed poor sanitary conditions and poor food hygiene practices of handlers. Educational programs targeted at improving the attitude of food handlers and licensing and regular inspections have been recommended.     

Tissue engineering scaffolds containing embedded fluorinated-zeolite oxygen vectors

Efficient oxygen supply is a continuing challenge for the fabrication of successful tissue engineered constructs with clinical relevance. In an effort to enhance oxygen delivery we report the feasibility of using fluorinated zeolite particles embedded in three-dimensional (3-D) polyurethane scaffolds as novel oxygen vectors. First, 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane was successfully coupled to zeolite framework particles to examine the dose-dependent dissolved oxygen concentration. Following this, the fluorinated-zeolite (FZ) particles were embedded in 3-D tissue engineering polyurethane scaffolds. Our data demonstrates an even distribution of FZ particles in the 3-D scaffolds without affecting the scaffold porosity or pore size. Human coronary artery smooth muscle cell (HCASMC) proliferation on FZ-containing polyurethane (PCU-FZ) scaffolds was significantly greater than on control scaffolds (P = 0.05). Remarkably, cell infiltration depths on the PCU-FZ scaffolds was double that on PCU control scaffolds. Taken together, our data suggest the potential of PCU-FZ scaffolds for tissue engineering with enhanced oxygen delivery to cells.     

Onconeural antibodies: improved detection and clinical correlations

Onconeural antibodies are found in many patients with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) and define the disease as paraneoplastic. The study describes the presence of onconeural antibodies and PNS in 555 patients with neurological symptoms and confirmed cancer within five years, and compares the diagnostic accuracy of different antibody assays (immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and immunoblot). Onconeural antibodies were found in 11.9% of the patients by immunoprecipitation, in 7.0% by immunofluorescence and in 6.3% by immunoblot. PNS were present in 81.8% of the cancer patients that were seropositive by immunoprecipitation. Immunofluorescence and immunoblot failed to detect onconeural antibodies in almost one third of the PNS cases.     

Versatile Biodegradable Poly(ester amide)s Derived from α-Amino Acids for Vascular Tissue Engineering

Biodegradable poly(ester amide) (PEA) biomaterials derived from α-amino acids, diols, and diacids are promising materials for biomedical applications such as tissue engineering and drug delivery because of their optimized properties and susceptibility for either hydrolytic or enzymatic degradation. The objective of this work was to synthesize and characterize biodegradable PEAs based on the α-amino acids l-phenylalanine and l-methionine. Four different PEAs were prepared using 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, and sebacic acid by interfacial polymerization. High molecular weight PEAs with narrow polydispersity indices and excellent film-forming properties were obtained. The incubation of these PEAs in PBS and chymotrypsin indicated that the polymers are biodegradable. Human coronary artery smooth muscle cells were cultured on PEA films for 48 h and the results showed a well-spread morphology. Porous 3D scaffolds fabricated from these PEAs were found to have excellent porosities indicating the utility of these polymers for vascular tissue engineering.     

Elastin biosynthesis: The missing link in tissue-engineered blood vessels

Nearly 20 years have passed since Weinberg and Bell attempted to make the first tissue-engineered blood vessels. Following this early attempt, vascular tissue engineering has emerged as one of the most promising approaches to fabricate orderly and mechanically competent vascular substitutes. In elastic and muscular arteries, elastin is a critical structural and regulatory matrix protein and plays an important and dominant role by conferring elasticity to the vessel wall. Elastin also regulates vascular smooth muscle cells activity and phenotype. Despite the great promise that tissue-engineered blood vessels have to offer, little research in the last two decades has addressed the importance of elastin incorporation into these vessels. Although cardiovascular tissue engineering has been reviewed in the past, very little attention has been given to elastin. Thus, this review focuses on the recent advances made towards elastogenesis and the challenges we face in the quest for appropriate functional vascular substitutes.     

An ovarian tumor larger than the patient's body weight

Surface epithelial-stromal tumors constitute by far the most important group among all ovarian neoplasms. Sixty-four kilogram left ovarian serous cystadenoma was removed from a forty-nine kilogram weighing Ethiopian woman. She presented with twenty-five years history of abdominal swelling. She had extreme degree of difficulty in bearing her weight, which resulted in keeping her to the house. This unusually big tumor is discussed with clinicopathologic correlation and literature review.     

Bacteriological and physico-chemical quality of drinking water sources in a rural community of Ethiopia

Background

Accesses to safe water is a universal need however, many of the world''s population lack access to adequate and safe water. Consumption of water contaminated causes health risk to the public and the situation is serous in rural areas.

Objectives

To assess the bacteriological and physico-chemical quality of drinking water sources in a rural community of Ethiopia.

Methods

Water samples were collected from tap, open springs, open dug wells and protected springs for bacteriological analysis of total coliforms and thermotolerant coliforms. The turbidity, pH and temperature were measured immediately after collection.

Results

Most drinking water sources were found to have coliform counts above the recommended national and international guidelines and had high sanitary risk scores. There was a statistically significant difference among water sources with respect to TC and TTC (p < 0.05) and there was a statistically significant positive correlation between coliform counts and sanitary risk scores (p < 0.01). Most water sources didn''t satisfy the turbidity values recommended by WHO.

Conclusion

The water sources were heavily contaminated which suggested poor protection and sanitation practice in the water sources. Source protection strategies as well as monitoring are recommend for this community.