Mechanistic insight of Staphylococcus aureus associated skin cancer in humans by Santalum album derived phytochemicals: an extensive computational and experimental approaches

An excessive amount of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is commonly associated with actinic keratosis (AK) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by secreted virulence products that induced the chronic inflammation leading to skin cancer which is regulated by staphylococcal accessory regulator (SarA). It is worth noting that there is currently no existing published study that reports on the inhibitory activity of phytochemicals derived from Santalum album on the SarA protein through in silico approach. Therefore, our study has been designed to find the potential inhibitors of S. aureus SarA protein from S. album-derived phytochemicals. The molecular docking study was performed targeting the SarA protein of S. aureus, and CID:5280441, CID:162350, and CID: 5281675 compounds showed the highest binding energy with −9.4 kcal/mol, −9.0 kcal/mol, and −8.6 kcal/mol respectively. Further, molecular dynamics simulation revealed that the docked complexes were relatively stable during the 100 ns simulation period whereas the MMPBSA binding free energy proposed that the ligands were sustained with their binding site. All three complexes were found to be similar in distribution with the apoprotein through PCA analysis indicating conformational stability throughout the MD simulation. Moreover, all three compounds’ ADMET profiles revealed positive results, and the AMES test did not show any toxicity whereas the pharmacophore study also indicates a closer match between the pharmacophore model and the compounds. After comprehensive in silico studies we evolved three best compounds, namely, Vitexin, Isovitexin, and Orientin, which were conducted in vitro assay for further confirmation of their inhibitory activity and results exhibited all of these compounds showed strong inhibitory activity against S. aureus. The overall result suggests that these compounds could be used as a natural lead to inhibit the pathogenesis of S. aureus and antibiotic therapy for S. aureus-associated skin cancer in humans as well

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections and Associated Risk Factors among the First-Cycle Primary Schoolchildren in Sasiga District, Southwest Ethiopia

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have been major public health burdens in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Studies in different areas of Ethiopia have shown a high prevalence of IPIs in poor families. A similar study has not been conducted in Sasiga District given that the area is possibly at high-risk of IPIs due to the prevailing risk factors. This study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among schoolchildren in Sasiga District, southwest Ethiopia. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2018 to March 2019 to estimate the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among the study participants. A total of 383 children were selected using resident-type and grade-level stratified systematic random sampling technique. Stool samples were examined microscopically using direct wet mount and formal-ether concentration techniques. A structured questionnaire was used to get information on the associated risk factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and p value of ≤0.05 was taken as statistically significant. The overall prevalence of IPIs among the children was 62.4% (239/383). Single, double, and triple infections were 49.9%, 10.7%, and 1.83%, respectively. Residence, family income, place of defecation, source of drinking water, shoe-wearing habit, handwashing habit after toilet use, ways of waste disposal, and cleanliness of fingernail were the most important predictors of IPIs (p<0.05). Ascaris lumbricoides (22.7% (87/383)) and hookworms (20.6% (79/383)) were the most prevalent parasites, followed by Entamoeba histolytica (8.1%), Trichuris trichiura (7.6%), Giardia intestinalis (6.5%), Hymenolepis nana (5.7%), and Schistosoma mansoni (4.4%), in that order. Sasiga District primary schoolchildren are likely at a high burden of IPIs. Intensive health education on personal hygiene and environmental sanitation is needed

Bacteriological and Physicochemical Quality of Drinking Water in Adis Kidame Town, Northwest Ethiopia

Drinking water pollution and the resulting waterborne diseases have been among the major public health burden in low-income countries such as Ethiopia. A high prevalence of waterborne diseases, up to 65%, has been reported in Adis Kidame Town (Ethiopia). Moreover, there have been poor waste disposal practices in this town. Thus, this study aimed to assess bacteriological and physicochemical drinking water quality in Adis Kidame Town to get insight into any potential health risks due to waterborne diseases. A total of 90 water samples were analyzed for enumeration of coliform bacteria and basic physicochemical parameters. In this study, total and faecal coliform counts (CFU/100 ml) ranged from 0 to 23 and 0 to 18, respectively. In all cases, 89 and 77% of the water samples in terms of total and faecal coliforms, respectively, did not comply with WHO guidelines. The highest level of coliforms was found in drinking water samples from households’ containers and taps, where 100% and 90% of samples were tested positive for total and faecal coliforms, respectively. Among the physicochemical parameters recorded, only temperature and residual chlorine did not comply with WHO guidelines. Temperature values in all samples ranged from 20 to 28°C, while the values of residual chlorine were below the recommended range in the 56.7% of water samples from the reservoir and almost in all (96.7%) water samples from the taps and households’ containers. High coliform count in the water system demands proper chlorination, regular inspection of the distribution line, and good hygienic practices to improve the microbiological quality of drinking water in Adis Kidame Town

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) on Antibiotic Use and Disposal Ways in Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Antibiotic resistance has been among the top public health threats elsewhere. Scientific information on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) at the community level towards antibiotic use and disposal ways is a vital step for effective intervention. This study aimed at determining the levels of KAP and associated risk factors for antibiotics in and around Hawassa City, southern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and logistic regression were used to analyze and interpret the results. A total of 504 participants with a mean age of 35.32 ± 9.03 years were included in the study. Most of the participants were urban dwellers (59.5%); more than half (55.6%) of the participants were male; most of the participants (62.7%) were at least college graduates; about half were employed (52.4%); about 41.7% of the participants had a large family size (≥7) with a mean family size of 5.7 ± 2.7; the average family monthly income was ETB 7213.71 ± 3673, and over three-fourth (74.8%) of the study participants were married. In addition, about 83.13% of the study participants heard about antibiotics; almost all of them (99.8%) had ever used antibiotics at some point in their life (75% of which used antibiotics within 6 months), and all of them could name at least one common type of antibiotic. Moreover, most of the participants (86.5%) did not receive any training related to antibiotics, and 29.4% of them obtained antibiotics without a prescription. Most participants had poor knowledge (64%), negative attitudes (60.4%), and poor practices (55%) towards antibiotic use, resistance, and disposal methods. Significant and positive linear correlations between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.539, P≤0.001), knowledge-practice (r = 0.532, P≤0.001), and attitude-practice (r = 0.786, P<0.001) were also observed. Most of the sociodemographic variables were significantly associated with the mean KAP scores of the study participants. Living in a rural area, having a large family size, and being female, married, illiterate, and farmer resulted in a very low level of knowledge. Similarly, living in a rural area, having a small family size, and being older and married resulted in a negative attitude. Furthermore, having a smaller family size, having a low family monthly income, and being married, illiterate, and self-employed resulted in poor practice. A very low level of KAP towards antibiotics among people living in and around Hawassa City calls for urgent and effective intervention strategies

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated risk factors among Jawi primary school children, Jawi town, north-west Ethiopia

Abstract Background Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have been major public health problems in low income countries primarily affecting school children. Previous studies in Ethiopia have shown high burden of intestinal parasitic infections in most children. In order to gain a deeper insight into the magnitude of the problem more information is needed from different localities where similar studies have not been conducted. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among school children in Jawi Primary School, Jawi town, north -west Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2017 to assess the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among Jawi Primary School children, Ethiopia. A total of 422 children were selected using age-stratified systematic random sampling technique. Stool samples were examined microscopically using direct wet-mount and formal-ether concentration techniques. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information regarding the associated risk factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and p value < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Results Of 406 students examined for IPIs, 235 (57.88%) were positive for one or more intestinal parasites. Single, double and triple infections were 41.9, 6.2 and 1.2%, respectively. Overall infection rate was slightly higher in males (51.85%) than in females (45.30%) though the difference was not significant. Higher prevalence rate (about 51–53%) was recorded among 6 to 18 years old children. Prevalence of Giardia lamblia was the highest (19.95%), followed by hookworm (13.8%), Schistosoma mansoni (10.3%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (5.9%), Hymenolepsis nana (4.2%), Taenia species (3%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (0.73%), in that order. Among the risk factors assessed, age, hand washing habit before meals, open field defecation habit, consistency of wearing shoes, habit of eating raw and unwashed vegetables, and finger nail cleanliness and trimming habit were found to be the most important predictors associated with high risk of IPIs (p < 0.05). Conclusion High prevalence of IPIs among Jawi Primary school children demands improved health education on regular hand washing, latrine use, wearing shoes, cleaning finger nails, not crossing rivers with bare foot and avoiding eating raw vegetables

Prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections among primary school children at Bure town, north-west Ethiopia

The burden of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) has been a common problem on children in Ethiopia. While communities in Bure town, northwest Ethiopia, are presumed to be exposed to IPIs, no study has been conducted before. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among school children in Bure town by conducting a cross-sectional study from January to June 2019. A total of 430 students were selected using stratified systematic random sampling technique. Direct wet-mount and formal-ether concentration techniques were used for parasitological analysis from stool samples taken from each student. Information about the risk factors was collected using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. The overall prevalence of IPIs among the children involved in the study was found to be 40% (172/430). Some 37.7% of the students exhibited single parasite infection, 2.1% double and 0.23% triple parasite. Seven species of intestinal parasites were detected, and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar was the most prevalent parasite (22.1%) followed by Giardia lamblia (8.6%), hookworms (6.75%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (3.7%). Hymenolepis nana, Trichuris trichuira and Taenia species were rare &nbsp;(&lt;1% prevalence each). Knowledge about personal and food hygiene as well as environmental sanitation were the most important predictors for IPIs (P&lt;0.05). Primary school children in Bure town are at high risk of IPIs. Awareness creation on personal hygiene and environmental sanitation is strongly recommended. Keywords: Intestinal parasitic infections; Prevalence; Primary school children; Risk factor; Bure tow

Drinking water quality and associated factors in Bahir Dar City and the surrounding rural areas, Northwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

In low-income countries like Ethiopia, waterborne illnesses have posed serious public health problems. This study aimed to evaluate drinking water quality (DWQ) and associated factors in Bahir Dar City and the surrounding rural areas in northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2022 to determine coliform counts and basic physicochemical parameters from the drinking water samples (DWS) collected from urban, peri-urban, and rural sites. A total of 180 DWS were collected from water collection points and households' containers. Potentially pathogenic bacteria were also isolated from fecal coliform (FC)-positive samples and their antibiotic susceptibility profiles were determined. Moreover, the risk factors associated with water quality were assessed. The water quality test results were evaluated against the WHO guidelines for DWQ. Based on the results of this study, only 16.7 and 73.88% of samples met the standards for total coliform and FC, respectively. Moreover, 95.4 and 43% of the isolated bacteria were resistant at least to one of the commonly used antibiotics and multidrug-resistant, respectively. Educating the public on proper drinking water handling, appropriate treatment, and waterline maintenance are needed to safeguard the community from waterborne diseases. HIGHLIGHTS Most of the drinking water in Bahir Dar City does not comply with the WHO standards.; There were poor drinking water disinfection practices in Bahir Dar City.; Drinking water quality in rural areas of Bahir Dar City was at a high sanitary standard.; There were poor drinking water handling practices in Bahir Dar City at the household levels.; Access to low-drinking water was prevalent in Bahir Dar City.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by aqueous extract of Dovyalis abyssinica fruit for antibacterial applications

Green biosynthesis technique was employed to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Fresh citrus fruit of Dovyalis abyssinica&nbsp;(vernacular name Koshim) tree was extracted by distilled water to obtain phenolic natural compounds that have reducing capacity of metallic ions to the corresponding metallic nanoparticles, in this case, silver ion to silver nanoparticles. The appearance of the UV-Vis absorbance peak at 430 nm and the color change from pale yellow reaction mixture to reddish brown colored product solution have confirmed the formation of AgNPs. FTIR data has also shown the presence of organic components from the plant with the particles that may be used as capping agents to stabilize the formed particles and to control the size. The prepared nanoparticles and the plant extract have shown antibacterial property against E. coli&nbsp;and&nbsp;S. aureus, though the effect of the AgNPs was better than the plant extract. This study contributes for the development of environmentally friendly procedures in the preparation of nanoparticles for medicine, energy or environment

Human Intestinal Parasitic Infections: Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors among Elementary School Children in Merawi Town, Northwest Ethiopia

Background. Intestinal parasitic infection is still common in Ethiopia. Periodic evaluation of the current status of human intestinal parasitic infections (HIPIs) is a prerequisite to controlling these health threats. This study is aimed at assessing the prevalence and determinant factors of HIPIs among elementary school-age children in Merawi town. Methods. A school-based cross-sectional study design was used among 403 children. The direct wet mount method was used to diagnose the stool samples. The sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of the respondents were collected using structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and logistic regression. Results. Out of the 403 students, the overall prevalence of HIPIs was 173 (42.9%). The magnitudes of single and double infections were 39.7% and 3.2%, respectively. Seventy-two (17.9%) were positive for Entamoeba histolytica, 63 (15.4%) for Giardia lamblia, 28 (9.6%) for Ascaris lumbricoides, 22 (6.9%) for hookworm, and 1 (0.2%) for Schistosoma mansoni. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was high in the age group of 6–11 years compared to other age groups. The following were the risk factors associated with HIPIs: groups aging 6 to 11 (AOR=9.581; 95% CI: 0.531-17.498; P=0.008), aging 12 to 18 (AOR=3.047; 95% CI: 0.055-1.828; P=0.008), not washing of hands after defecation (AOR=3.683; 95% CI; 1.577-8.598; P=0.003), not regularly washing of hands after defecation (AOR=2.417; 95% CI; 1.224-4.774; P=0.003), dirty fingernails (AOR=2.639; 95% CI: 1.388-5.020; P=0.003), not wearing shoes (AOR=2.779; 95% CI: 1.267-6.096; P=0.011), rural residence (AOR=6.6; 95% CI; 0.06-0.351; P<0.0001), and a family size greater than or equal to five (AOR=2.160; 95% CI: 1.179-3.956; P=0.013). Conclusion. The prevalence of HIPIs among elementary school children in Merawi town was very high. Thus, there is a need for intensive health education for behavioral changes related to personal hygiene and mass treatment for effective control of HIPIs in the study area

Biological monitoring of freshwater ecosystem health in Ethiopia: A review of current efforts, challenges, and future developments

Aquatic resources are increasingly stressed primarily due to anthropogenic activities in Ethiopia. These anthropogenic stresses altered ecological integrities and compromised ecosystem services that could otherwise support the livelihoods of millions of people. Evidence-based management of the degradation of aquatic ecosystems requires quantifying ecologically significant changes and discriminating among impact levels and types. Apart from physico-chemistry, monitoring of aquatic ecosystems using biological organisms is progressing well in recent times both in the tropics and temperate regions. The majority of studies so far focused on macroinvertebrates and to a lesser extent on diatoms. Though the method is given less attention, individual initiatives have been increasing over time especially in developing countries, including Ethiopia. This paper reviews current efforts undertaken and major challenges facing the use of bioindicators in aquatic ecosystems as biological monitoring tools. The possible application of biomonitoring and its importance for Ethiopian aquatic ecosystems is also discussed and future improvements suggested