scholarly journals Assessment of the current rabies situation and its management in epidemic areas of southern Ethiopia

Author(s):  
Yimer Mulugeta ◽  
Fantu Lombamo ◽  
Anberber Alemu ◽  
Meseret Yohanise ◽  
Zewdu Assefa ◽  
...  

Rabies infection is almost always a 100% lethal viral disease in all mammals, including humans. Although more than 60,000 people worldwide are preventable, 2,700 people in Ethiopia die of fatal human rabies annually. The aim of this study was to generate strategic information on the extent of the burden of rabies and major response strategies in place, only to overcome and bring attention to the management of rabies outbreaks. The cross - sectional case - based study design was used to discuss the disease areas of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples ' Regional States of Ethiopia. Data analysis revealed a total of 16 fatal human rabies and 287 suspected rabies exposures. The highest attack rate of 116.3 cases per 100,000 human subjects was reported in Tembaro woreda. As a result, 48 animal deaths of rabies have been reported, while cattle (28) have been more affected than other animal species. The lack of dog immunization, lack of community awareness of dog management, and inaccessibility and inefficiency of anti - rabies vaccines were major risk factors associated with the spread of rabies exposure between humans and animals. In conclusion, this study has clearly shown that both the existence and the high magnitude of fatal human and animal rabies are significant in the area. Multidisciplinary approach interventions to increase community awareness of dog vaccination, effective and immediate treatment of exposed individuals is recommended as a method of disease control and prevention

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 14-25
Author(s):  
Analita G. ◽  
Maaidah A. ◽  
Wed F.A. ◽  
Mashael S.A. ◽  
Asma M.A. ◽  
...  

Community awareness is an essential factor in the control and prevention of communicable diseases, especially the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This study investigates the level of COVID-19 awareness in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia in the areas of signs and symptoms, mode of transmission and prevention. A descriptive correlational, cross-sectional study design was used. The researcher-devised questionnaire was validated and was found reliable with Cronbach Alpha of 0.92. The majority of the 501 participants who responded to the questionnaire were extremely aware of COVID-19 in terms of signs and symptoms, modes of transmission and preventive measures. YouTube, Television and WhatsApp were the main sources of information regarding COVID-19. The awareness level about COVID-19 in Tabuk was exceptional based on the questionnaire scores, and the source of information reflected the concern of the studied population.


Author(s):  
Aman Dev Singh ◽  
Ritu Rochwani ◽  
Ishan Sagar ◽  
Riya . ◽  
Ankur Jain

Background: Rabies is a preventable enzootic endemic disease in India, it is a viral disease caused by Lysavirus causing acute inflammation of brain in humans and other warm blooded animals. It is typically transmitted through bites from infected animal. Human rabies deaths are almost entirely preventable through prompt delivery of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to victims of bites by rabid animal. Appropriate knowledge regarding rabies and its prevention among medical students is very important to prevent rabies deaths. The aims and objectives of the study were to assess awareness regarding rabies amongst medical students.Methods: This was a cross sectional study which was conducted in month of April 2018. There were total of 496 students, we could obtain the information from 373 students as the questionnaire was given during a theory class and some of the students were absent. A pretested, structured questionnaire was administered to assess their knowledge about rabies, classification and management of bite wounds, including different vaccination schedules, site and dose. The data was entered using Microsoft excel and statically analysed by Epi Info 7.Results: Almost all (97.32%) students knew that rabies is a fatal disease and 78.02% knew that dog was the primary transmitting animal. Only 41.29% students were aware that head, neck and face to be the danger site of bite. Almost all 98.6% students were aware about washing the wound with soap and water as the primary first aid measure following dog bite whereas 0.27% said suturing as first aid measure.Conclusions: Awareness of medical students regarding cause of rabies and its fatality were good but they had less awareness about the danger sites of animal bite. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  

West Nile virus is a member of genus Flavivirus that cause emerging disease. It is transmitted with mosquitoes, Culex species. Still now, no studies carried out to determine the seroprevalence of WNV antibodies in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess the WNV seroprevalence and its associated factors in health facilities in the Borena District. An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August, 2019. 519 consecutive acute febrile patients attending the outpatient departments of Teltelle Health Center, Yabello and Moyale Hospital were participated. Data on socio-demographic and associated factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. 3-5 blood samples were collected from all participants and screened for WNV antibodies using indirect immunofluorescence assay. The overall prevalence of anti-WNV IgG and IgM was 7.3% and 2.7% respectively. Above thirty-nine percent of the study participants were from Teltelle Health center, 36.6% were from Moyale Hospital, and the left were (23.7%) were from Yabello Hospital. Female participants (3.3%) had higher rate of WNV IgM compared to males (2%), but male was account higher in IgG antibody (8.8%). This study provides evidence that WNV infection is prevalent in the study area. The observed low awareness of participants underlines the urgent need for further community based studies to determine the associated factors that determine the extent of exposure to WNV infection in the study area for appropriate control and prevention.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Haben Fesseha ◽  
Mesfin Mathewos

Background. Lungworms are parasitic nematodes of the order Strongylidae that infect the lungs of cattle and sheep and cause bronchitis or pneumonia. Methods. An abattoir-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2018 to April 2019 to determine the comparative prevalence and the possible risk factors of lungworm infection in sheep and cattle of Durame district of Kembata Tembaro zone. For this purpose, a total of 410 animals (209 sheep and 201 cattle) were randomly selected and examined for the presence of different lungworm species using the modified Baermann technique and postmortem examination. The sensitivity and specificity of fecal sample test considering necropsy as reference/gold standard was conducted. Results. Accordingly, the overall prevalence of lungworm infection in sheep and cattle was 24.39%. Dictyocaulus filaria and D. viviparous were the only species of lungworm identified in sheep and cattle with a respective prevalence of 44.02% and 3.98%. Putative risk factors such as species and poor body condition have a significant association ( p < 0.05 ) with the occurrence of lungworms in sheep and cattle. The lungworm infection was higher in the young age group (25.30%) and poor body conditioned (32.14%) animals. Season-wise prevalence revealed that a higher lungworm infection was recorded during autumn (32.14%) as compared to winter (22.81%) and spring (16.2%). Most of the sheep and cattle in the current study were heavily (45.0%) and moderately (39.0%) infected with lungworms whereas the rest 16.0% were infected with a low degree of lungworm infection. The specificity, sensitivity, PPV, and NPV of the modified Baermann technique against the gold standard test were 89.4%, 42%, 56.0%, and 82.7%, respectively. Conclusion. The study revealed that lungworm infection is prevalent in sheep and cattle of the study area and that was commonly occurs during autumn and affects poorly conditioned sheep and cattle. Thus, routine and strategic deworming for the control and prevention of lungworms in domestic animals should be recommended to overwhelm the prevalence of lungworm infection.


2006 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Foyez Haque ◽  
Alberto G. de la Rocha ◽  
Betty Ann Horbul ◽  
Patricia Desroches ◽  
Craig Orrell

Purpose: In Canada, the incidence of childhood obesity has tripled within the past 20 years. The prevalence of obesity in the Timmins, Ontario, student population was studied to gain knowledge for program planning and resource allocation, and to compare Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria with Cole’s international criteria for childhood obesity. Methods: Anthropometric measurements of 801 students were taken. Students were chosen from randomly selected schools for each grade. Data were analyzed according to age, gender, and ethnicity. Data were also compared with other studies. Intragroup comparisons were performed using hypothesis testing for significance with the z table and chi-square test. Results: Overweight and obesity prevalence was 28% according to CDC criteria. No statistical difference was found between genders or among ethnic groups, or between this study and other Canadian studies. In comparison with the CDC criteria, Cole’s international criteria indicated less obesity and increased overweight prevalence. These differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The findings suggest that in the northern Ontario community of Timmins, the prevalence of childhood obesity is of epidemic proportions. When the findings are shared with different agencies, this study will help the health unit to take necessary public health measures to curb the epidemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S279-S279
Author(s):  
Eimear Kitt ◽  
Julia S Sammons ◽  
Kathleen Chiotos ◽  
Susan E Coffin ◽  
Susan E Coffin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends upper respiratory tract (URT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing as the initial diagnostic test for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Lower respiratory tract (LRT) testing for patients requiring mechanical ventilation is also recommended. The goal of this study was to evaluate concordance between paired URT and LRT specimens in children undergoing pre-admission/procedure screening or diagnostic testing. We hypothesized that &lt; 10% of paired tests would have discordant results. Methods Single center cross-sectional study including children with artificial airways who had paired URT and LRT SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing between 4/1/2020 and 6/8/2020. URT specimens included nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and aspirates. LRT specimens included tracheal aspirates and bronchoalveolar lavages. URT and LRT specimens were classified as paired if the two specimens were collected within 24 hours. Artificial airways included tracheostomies and endotracheal tubes. Tests were classified as diagnostic versus screening based on the indication selected in the order. Results 102 paired specimens were obtained during the study period. Fifty-nine were performed for screening and 43 were performed for diagnosis of suspected SARS-CoV-2. Overall, 94 specimens (92%) were concordant, including 89 negative from both sources and 5 positive from both sources. Eight specimens (8%) were discordant, all of which were positive from the URT and negative from the LRT (Figure 1). Among patients undergoing screening, 3 of 4 positive tests were discordant and among symptomatic patients, 5 of 9 positive tests were discordant. There were no instances of a positive LRT specimen with a negative URT specimen. Figure 1. Performance of upper and lower respiratory tract SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing in children with artificial airways Conclusion Overall, most paired samples from the URT and LRT yielded concordant results with no pairs positive from the LRT and negative from the URT. These data support the CDC recommendation that URT specimens are the preferred initial SARS-CoV-2 test, while LRT specimens should be collected only from mechanically ventilated with suspected SARS-CoV-2. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 838
Author(s):  
Bryony A. Jones ◽  
Mana Mahapatra ◽  
Daniel Mdetele ◽  
Julius Keyyu ◽  
Francis Gakuya ◽  
...  

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease of goats and sheep that occurs in Africa, the Middle East and Asia with a severe impact on livelihoods and livestock trade. Many wild artiodactyls are susceptible to PPR virus (PPRV) infection, and some outbreaks have threatened endangered wild populations. The role of wild species in PPRV epidemiology is unclear, which is a knowledge gap for the Global Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR. These studies aimed to investigate PPRV infection in wild artiodactyls in the Greater Serengeti and Amboseli ecosystems of Kenya and Tanzania. Out of 132 animals purposively sampled in 2015–2016, 19.7% were PPRV seropositive by ID Screen PPR competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA; IDvet, France) from the following species: African buffalo, wildebeest, topi, kongoni, Grant’s gazelle, impala, Thomson’s gazelle, warthog and gerenuk, while waterbuck and lesser kudu were seronegative. In 2018–2019, a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected African buffalo and Grant’s gazelle herds was conducted. The weighted estimate of PPRV seroprevalence was 12.0% out of 191 African buffalo and 1.1% out of 139 Grant’s gazelles. All ocular and nasal swabs and faeces were negative by PPRV real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Investigations of a PPR-like disease in sheep and goats confirmed PPRV circulation in the area by rapid detection test and/or RT-qPCR. These results demonstrated serological evidence of PPRV infection in wild artiodactyl species at the wildlife–livestock interface in this ecosystem where PPRV is endemic in domestic small ruminants. Exposure to PPRV could be via spillover from infected small ruminants or from transmission between wild animals, while the relatively low seroprevalence suggests that sustained transmission is unlikely. Further studies of other major wild artiodactyls in this ecosystem are required, such as impala, Thomson’s gazelle and wildebeest.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 117863292110192
Author(s):  
Minh Van Hoang ◽  
Anh Tuan Tran ◽  
Trang Thu Vu ◽  
Tuan Kim Duong

This study examined the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) preparedness and response of the health system (HS) in Hanoi, Vietnam, and identified enabling factors and barriers. This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study was conducted in 4 urban and peri-urban districts that included some wards with COVID-19-positive cases and some without. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analytical frameworks were used. Overall, 10% of health facilities (HFs) failed to fully implement COVID-19 risk determination; 8.8% failed to fully implement stronger community partnerships with local stakeholders to support public health (PH) preparedness; 35% and 2.5% incompletely implemented and did not implement evaluation of PH emergency operations, respectively; 10% did not identify communication channels to issue public information, alerts, warnings, and notifications; 25% incompletely implemented identification, development of guidance, and standards for information; 72.5% had good preventive and treatment collaboration; and 10% did not fully implement procedures for laboratory testing and reporting results. Enablers included sufficient infrastructure and equipment, strong leadership, and good cross-public-sector collaboration with police and military forces. Barriers included workforce constraints, overburdened and inconsistent reporting systems, inappropriate financial mechanisms, ambiguous health governance, and lack of private-sector engagement. Nonetheless, the HS preparedness and response were satisfactory, although further coordinated efforts in evaluation, coordination, communication, and volunteering remain necessary.


2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moges Tadesse ◽  
Takele Tadesse

Accidental needlestick injuries sustained by health-care workers are a common occupational hazard and a public health issue in health-care settings. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted and 30.9% of health-care workers had experienced at least one needlestick injury in the previous year.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Hailu Bekele ◽  
Gebi Husein Jima ◽  
Ashenafi Habtamu Regesu

Background. Undernutrition is one of the most widespread public health problems that affect both developed and developing countries. In Ethiopia, it is one of the factors leading to unacceptable high morbidity and mortality among women. However, little is documented on undernutrition among lactating women particularly in such a purely pastoral community. Therefore, this study was designed to assess prevalence of undernutrition and its associated factors among lactating women living in pastoral community of Moyale District, Borena Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2018. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected from a random sampled 545 lactating women using structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Height and weight measurements of the study participants were also taken to compute body mass index. Data were entered in to Epi info version 7 and then exported to SPSS version 21 software for analysis. Descriptive statistics like frequency, mean, and percentage were computed to describe characteristics of the sample. Multivariable analysis was carried out, association between independent and dependent variables were measured using adjusted odds ratios, and its 95% confidence interval and P value below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results. This study showed that prevalence of undernutrition among lactating women was 17.7%. Dietary diversity (AOR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.43–4.36), monthly income (AOR = 5.22, 95% CI: 1.40–19.40), extra meal taking (AOR = 2.76, 95% CI: 1.43–5.29, delivery place (AOR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.24–5.65), and household food insecurity (AOR = 6.57, 95% CI: 3.50–12.34) were independent variables showing statistically significant association with undernutrition of lactating women. Conclusion and recommendations. The study revealed that magnitude of undernutrition among lactating women was high. Dietary diversity, monthly income, extra meal, delivery place, and household food insecurity were found to be predictor of undernutrition. Finally, we recommend that governmental and nongovernmental organizations should organize timely interventions targeting lactating women.


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