59 research outputs found
Willingness to Pay for Social Health Insurance Among Health Care Professionals in North Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: Mixed Method Study [Retraction]
No full textGirmaw F, Adane E, Kassaw AT, Ashagrie G, Baye T. Clinicoecon Outcomes Res. 2023:593–606.
At the author’s request, we, the Editors and Publisher of ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research, have retracted the following article.
Following publication, the authors contacted the journal to explain that the published article was derived from the MSc thesis of the second author, Ejigayehu Adane. However, the authors now acknowledge the remaining four authors had no formal contribution to the study or the manuscript which was provided for publication. In addition, the corresponding author is unable to provide a copy of the original MSc thesis of the second author.
To uphold the integrity of the research and adhere to ethical standards the authors requested to retract the article and we, the Editor and Publisher agreed with this decision.
We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and COPE guidelines.
The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”
Rare bacterial isolates causing bloodstream infections in Ethiopian patients with cancer
No full textRare bacterial isolates causing bloodstream infections in Ethiopian patients with cancer
No full textAbstract Background In recent years, saprophytic bacteria have been emerging as potential human pathogens causing life-threatening infections in patients with malignancies. However, evidence is lacking concerning such bacteria, particularly in sub-Saharan countries. This study was designed to determine the spectrum and drug resistance profile of the rare bacterial pathogens causing bloodstream infections (BSIs) in febrile cancer patients at a referral hospital in Ethiopia. Methods Between December 2011 and June 2012, blood samples were collected from 107 patients with cancer in Tikur Anbessa hospital. Culturing was performed using the blood culture bottles and solid media and the microorganisms were identified using the gram staining and APINE identification kits (Biomerieux, France). The disk diffusion method was used for the antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Results Overall, 13 (12.2%) rare human pathogens were isolated from 107 adult febrile cancer patients investigated. Aeromonas hydrophilia species (a fermentative gram-negative rod) was the predominant isolate, 30.8% (4/13), followed by Chryseomonas luteola 15.4% (2/13), Sphignomonas poucimobilis 15.4% (2/13), and Pseudomonas fluorescens 15.4% (2/13). Of the nine isolates tested for a nine set of antibiotics, 89% were resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. Conclusions This study revealed the emergence of saprophytic bacteria as potential drug-resistant nosocomial pathogens in Ethiopian patients with cancer. As these pathogens are ubiquitous in the environment, infection prevention actions should be strengthened in the hospital and early diagnosis and treatment with appropriate antibiotics are warranted for those already infected
Determinants of Trachomatous Inflammation-Follicular Among Children Aged 1 to 9 Years Old in a Rural Area of Gozamn District, Northwestern Ethiopia: A Matched Case-Control Study
No full textBackground: Approximately 1.9 million people worldwide are blind or visually impaired due to trachoma, and trachoma remains endemic in 44 countries. Amhara in Ethiopia has the highest burden of trachoma in the world. A key indicator of whether active trachoma requires public health intervention is the incidence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular in children aged 1 to 9 years. However, limited study has been conducted on the determinants in rural communities. This study therefore aimed to fill this gap by identifying determinants in the Gozamn district of northwestern Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based case-control study was carried out between March 15 and April 30, 2021. Five or more follicles on the epitaxial conjunctivae that are larger than 0.5 mm were considered a case. Controls were free of any sign of trachoma. A semi-structured questionnaire and an observational checklist were used to gather the data, and STATA version 14 was used for the analysis. Using a 95% confidence interval, both bivariable and multivariable conditional logistic regression was performed. Results: A total of 726 mothers/caregivers participated in this study, with a participation rate of 98.4%. Children from poor families (mAOR = 4.68; CI: 2.80-6.21), households where the water source is far from home (>30 minutes) (mAOR = 4.91; KI: 1.37-12.56), mean daily water consumption (<20 l/c/d) (mAOR = 4.42; CI:1.71-11.39), face washing frequency less than once a day (mAOR = 10.64; CI: 2.58-18.84), cloth washing frequency once a month or less (mAOR = 9.18; CI: 2.20-18.62), and mothers or caregivers with poor knowledge of active trachoma (mAOR = 3.88; CI: 1.47-10.22) were determinants of trachomatous inflammation-follicular. Conclusions: We conclude that infrequent faces and clothes washing; unavailability of water, children in poor families, and poor knowledge of mothers/caregivers were risk factors. Health education initiatives about active trachoma, its prevention, and control methods focusing on personal hygiene are so required
Adsorptive removal of cadmium (II) from wastewater using activated carbon synthesized from stem of Khat (Catha edulis)
No full textIntroduction: Cadmium is among the most hazardous heavy metals, posing the greatest risk to human beings and the environment. Adsorption with activated carbon prepared from agricultural waste is the most effective way to remove cadmium (II) from wastewater. In this study, activated carbon prepared from the stem of Khat (Catha edulis) plant was used for the removal of cadmium (II) from wastewater. Objective: To evaluate the efficiency and mechanism of the removal of cadmium (II) from wastewater using Khat (Catha edulis) stem activated carbon at different operating parameters. Method: Proximate and Fourier transform infrared analyses were conducted to characterise the prepared Khat stem-activated carbon. The effects of initial cadmium concentration, adsorbent dose, pH, contact time, and agitation speed on the cadmium removal efficiency of Khat stem-activated carbon were evaluated. Furthermore, isotherm and kinetic models of adsorption were used to evaluate the mechanism of cadmium removal. Result: The proximate analysis indicated that the activated carbon derived from Khat stems possesses a bulk density of 0.58 g/cm3 and surface area of 615 m2/g. Additionally, the prepared Khat stem activated carbon has 4 %, 14 %, and 22 % of moisture content, ash content, and volatile matter, respectively. Furthermore, the proximate analysis indicated that the Khat stem activated carbon has a porosity of 55 %. The Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy result indicated the presence of phenolic, alcoholic, and carboxylic acid functional groups on the surface of Khat stem activated carbon. The experimental data showed a better fit with the Langmuir isotherm model (R-squared and chi-square value of 0.9727 and 1.3936, respectively) and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R-squared and chi-square values of 0.9032 and 0.2179, respectively). The highest adsorption efficiency of cadmium (97 %) was attained at an adsorbent dose of 0.125 g, a contact time of 30 min, an initial cadmium concentration of 20 mg/L, a pH of 5, and an agitation speed of 100 rpm at room temperature (25 °C). Conclusion: The results obtained in this research demonstrated that activated carbon from Khat stems can be employed as an economical, ecologically friendly, easily accessible and efficient activated carbon to remove Cd (II) from wastewater
Living in a large family and low daily water consumption substantially expose for human scabies in rural Ethiopia: a matched analysis
No full textAbstract Background Scabies has been added to the neglected tropical diseases portfolio for large-scale disease control action since 2017 and is part of the WHO roadmap for NTDs 2021–2030, targeted at ending the neglect to achieve the sustainable development goals. Previous studies have not fitted matched analysis to identify predictors of scabies infestation in Ethiopia. Information is also scarce about predictors of scabies infestation in this area. Therefore, this study aimed to identify predictors of scabies infestation in rural Aneded District, northwest Ethiopia. Methods A community-based matched case–control study involving 183 cases and 549 controls was undertaken from March 1 to May 31, 2021, in rural Aneded District. A two-stage sampling technique with a house-to-house census for the screening of scabies cases was employed. A structured questionnaire with questions on sociodemographics, behavior, water supply, sanitation, and hygiene, and delivery of scabies-specific interventions was used. Pretesting, training of data collectors and supervisors, and supervision were applied to keep the data quality. A multivariable conditional logistic regression model was fitted to identify predictors of scabies. Results Unmarried individuals or those in separated families (adjusted matched odds ratio (AmOR = 2.71; 95% CI 1.30–5.65); those unable to read and write or in illiterate families (AmOR = 5.10; 95% CI 1.81–14.36); those in large families (AmOR = 6.67; 95% CI 2.83–15.73); households that had longer travel times for water collection (AmOR = 2.27; 95% CI 1.08–4.76); those that had low daily water consumption (AmOR = 6.69; 95% CI 2.91–15.37); households that disposed of solid wastes in open fields (AmOR = 5.60; 95% CI 2.53–12.40); and households that did not receive scabies-specific interventions (AmOR = 2.98; 95% CI 1.39–6.39) had increased odds of scabies. Conclusions Being unmarried, illiteracy, large family, long travel time for water collection, low daily water consumption, open dumping of solid wastes, and inaccessibility of scabies-specific interventions are predictors of scabies. This information is instrumental for redesigning improved scabies-specific interventions that consider educational status, marital status, family size, water collection time, daily water consumption, solid waste disposal, and equity and optimization in delivering existing interventions in rural Ethiopia
Guideline Recommendations for Empirical Antimicrobial Therapy: An Appraisal of Research Evidence for Clinical Decision-Making in Ethiopia
No full textAbstract Introduction The rapid spread of drug resistance is forcing standard treatment guidelines (STGs) to become more appropriate with due consideration of the evidence on the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) situation in Ethiopia. Therefore, we aimed to assess the local AMR recommendations in the STGs for empirical antibacterial prescriptions for the five common infectious syndromes. We also determined the quality of AMR reviews conducted in the country. Methods We conducted a review of the STGs used in the health centers, general hospitals, and primary hospitals in Ethiopia and assessed the AMR recommendations in STGs for empirical antibacterial prescriptions for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), urinary tract infection (UTI), tonsillopharyngitis, acute otitis media (AOM), and bacterial dysentery. Next, we performed an overview of AMR reviews published in Ethiopia. We used the MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases to identify AMR reviews. The review characteristics were extracted. We also evaluated the quality of each included AMR review using a measurement tool to assess the systematic review scale (AMSTAR 2). Results A total of 6 STGs and 12 AMR reviews conducted in the country were included. The choice of empirical antibacterials for similar infectious syndromes (and editions) was comparable across the three levels of the health care system. None of the STGs evaluated included the local AMR recommendations for empirical antibacterial prescriptions for five common infectious syndromes. Of all the AMR reviews included, 75% had low and below methodologic quality, and none had a high-quality score using the AMSTAR 2 tool. Conclusion Standard treatment guidelines did not consider local AMR recommendations for empirically prescribing antibacterials for common infectious syndromes. The AMR reviews published in the country produced poor methodologic quality evidence for clinical applications. This highlights the need to improve the methodologic quality to provide the best available evidence for clinical decision-making and curb the ongoing AMR in Ethiopia. Trial registration Retrospectively registered (15/07/2020)
Sugarcane bacilliform viruses in Ethiopia : genetic diversity and transmission by pink sugarcane mealybug
No full textDATA AVAILABILITY : Sequences described in this paper are available under GenBank accession numbers OQ401597–OQ401612 (SCBV) and OR557579, OR557580 and OR558364 (mealybug). The other datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Badnaviruses infecting sugarcane, collectively called sugarcane bacilliform viruses (SCBVs), are reported worldwide and are responsible for causing leaf fleck disease in sugarcane. SCBVs are genetically heterogeneous members of the badnavirus species complex. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of sugarcane bacilliform viruses (SCBVs) in four distinct sugarcane growing sites in Ethiopia. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the transmission of SCBV through vectors. A total of 270 sugarcane leaf samples, including both virus-suspected (symptomatic) and asymptomatic leaves, were collected and tested using a PCR assay with SCBV-F and SCBV-R primer pairs. Out of these samples, 67 (24.8%) were found to be SCBV-positive. Phylogenetic analysis and pairwise sequence comparisons based on the partial RT-RNase H coding region showed that the SCBVs in Ethiopia are genetically diverse. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that isolates from the current study formed four clusters together with SCBV-G, L, Q and S isolates reported from different parts of the world. This suggests that the introduction of SCBV to Ethiopia may have occurred in multiple countries. The glasshouse experiments demonstrated the efficient transmission of SCBV from infected to healthy sugarcane plants by pink sugarcane mealybugs (Saccharicoccus sacchari), which are associated with the sugarcane crop in the field. These findings contribute to the current understanding of the genetic diversity of SCBVs in Ethiopia.The Addis Ababa Science and Technology University.http://link.springer.com/journal/133132024-10-10hj2024Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)Plant Production and Soil ScienceSDG-02:Zero Hunge
First observation of the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect with kinetic inductance detectors
No full textabstract: Context. Clusters of galaxies provide valuable information on the evolution of the Universe and large scale structures. Recent cluster observations via the thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (tSZ) effect have proven to be a powerful tool to detect and study them. In this context, high resolution tSZ observations (~tens of arcsec) are of particular interest to probe intermediate and high redshift clusters.
Aims. Observations of the tSZ effect will be carried out with the millimeter dual-band NIKA2 camera, based on kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) to be installed at the IRAM 30-m telescope in 2015. To demonstrate the potential of such an instrument, we present tSZ observations with the NIKA camera prototype, consisting of two arrays of 132 and 224 detectors that observe at 140 and 240 GHz with a 18.5 and 12.5 arcsec angular resolution, respectively.
Methods. The cluster RX J1347.5-1145 was observed simultaneously at 140 and 240 GHz. We used a spectral decorrelation technique to remove the atmospheric noise and obtain a map of the cluster at 140 GHz. The efficiency of this procedure has been characterized through realistic simulations of the observations.
Results. The observed 140 GHz map presents a decrement at the cluster position consistent with the tSZ nature of the signal. We used this map to study the pressure distribution of the cluster by fitting a gNFW model to the data. Subtracting this model from the map, we confirm that RX J1347.5-1145 is an ongoing merger, which confirms and complements previous tSZ and X-ray observations.
Conclusions. For the first time, we demonstrate the tSZ capability of KID based instruments. The NIKA2 camera with ~5000 detectors and a 6.5 arcmin field of view will be well-suited for in-depth studies of the intra cluster medium in intermediate to high redshifts, which enables the characterization of recently detected clusters by the Planck satellite
Identification of yam mosaic virus as the main cause of yam mosaic diseases in Ethiopia
No full textDATA AVAILABILITY :
Sequences described in this paper are under GenBank accession numbers OQ571881 - OQ571886. The other datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a staple food crop with cultural, nutritional and economic significance for millions of small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. While various virus-like symptoms such as mosaic and chlorosis are frequently observed in yam fields in Ethiopia, little information is available on the prevalence, distribution, and molecular characteristics of viruses causing these symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and distribution of yam viruses and determine the primary cause of yam mosaic diseases (YMD) in Ethiopia. Both symptomatic (n = 280) and asymptomatic (n = 110) yam leaf samples were collected and tested for potyviruses using ACP‐ELISA. In addition, the symptomatic leaf samples were screened for yam mosaic virus (YMV), yam mild mosaic virus (YMMV), and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) by DAS-ELISA. Subsequently, total RNA was extracted from 130 leaf samples comprising 94 symptomatic and 36 asymptomatic samples representing the different study areas. The representative RT-PCR amplicons (n = 6) were Sanger sequenced. The ACP-ELISA and DAS-ELISA results showed 9.2%, and 12.9% YMV infection, respectively, while the RT-PCR analysis showed 28.5% YMV positivity rate. Both CMV and YMMV were not detected in any of the samples tested. Thus, YMV is confirmed as the primary cause of YMD in Ethiopia. YMV isolates from Ethiopia shared 92–93% nucleotide identity among themselves and 85–99% with other YMV isolates from the GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that YMV isolates from Ethiopia, South America, and west-central Africa have the most recent common ancestor, while isolates from China and Japan are clustered as sister groups. This study enhances our understanding of YMV's genetic diversity and provides valuable information regarding the first report of YMV in Ethiopia.https://www.cell.com/heliyonhj2024Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)Plant Production and Soil ScienceSDG-02:Zero Hunge
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