Assessment of Water Handling Practices among Rural Communities of Dire Dawa Administrative Council, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

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Assessing the Bacteriological Quality of Drinking Water from Sources to Household Water Samples of the Rural Communities of Dire Dawa Administrative Council, Eastern Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, access to improved water supply and sanitation was estimated at 38% and 12% respectively. Three- forth of the health problems of children in Ethiopia are communicable diseases due to polluted water and improper water handling practices. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the bacteriological quality of drinking water sources in Dire Dawa Surrounding area. The study was conducted from February 2011 to May 2011. A total of 90 water samples from different water sources (-protected and unprotected well; protected and unprotected spring; and tap water) and bacteriological water quality parameters were analyzed using the membrane filtration method. Water analysis demonstrated that all water sources in the study areas were contaminated with total coliforms, fecal coliform and parasites. The average counts of TC were in the range of 1.5-133.05CFU/100ml whereas the average counts of FC were found to be 0.34- 54CFU/100ml. In all samples, the TC, FC was above the  recommended limit of WHOM for drinking water quality (1-10CFU/100ml for TC, 0CFU/100ml for FC. The fact that, about 83.34% of the water  sample was positive for indicator bacteria shown that the three selected PA had risk of contamination in the three selected PAs had high risk of microbiological water quality parameters. High concentration of  microbiological indicators in all water sources of this study area may  demonstrated the presence of pathogenic organisms which constitute a threat to anyone consuming or in contact with these waters. This is due to lack of good water treatment, improper water handling practices and lackof the protection of the water sources. Consequently, protection of water sources accompanied by sanitation and hygiene promotion programs can improve the water quality of rural water sources, where disinfection is not feasible

Determination of body composition of people living with HIV/AIDS: A comparison of air displacement plethysmography with Tanita segmental body composition analyzer

Background: Body composition (BC) assessment of patients living with HIV is frequently done by a variety of methods. During the past decades, several new technologic developments have introduced different methods of BC assessment. Yet, simple, accurate, and noninvasive methods for assessing BC are needed in clinical, community, and research settings. Objective: To compare BC assessed by air displacement plethysmography (ADP) with that assessed by Tanita segmental BC analyzer in patients with HIV/AIDS.Method: Eighty-eight adult (> 18 years) HIV/AIDS patients who were on follow up at anti-retroviral clinic in Jimma university medical centre were randomly selected. ADP and Tanita segmental BC analyzer were used to collect data. Agreement between the methods was tested using paired t-test, Pearson’s correlation, and linear regression. Result: Thirty-nine (57.4%) of the patients were female and 29 (42.6%) were male. About 41(60.3%) of them were malnourished. The patients who were in stage one of the disease accounted 83.8%. Mean value of %BF measured by Tanita segmental BC analyzer was significantly lower than %BF measured by the ADP (mean difference = 3.2, p < 0.001). Regardless of the difference in mean, %BF assessed by the two methods were strongly correlated (r = 0.98, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Estimates of %BF by Tanita segmental BC analyzer and ADP in people living with HIV/AIDS in Southwest Ethiopia showed significant difference. Tanita segmental BC analyzer significantly underestimated %BF in HIV/AIDS patients

Factors influencing the ownership and utilization of long-lasting insecticidal nets for malaria prevention in Ethiopia

Background Utilization of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) is regarded as key malaria prevention and control strategy. However, studies have reported a large gap in terms of both ownership and utilization particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). With continual efforts to improve the use of LLIN and to progress malaria elimination, examining the factors influencing the ownership and usage of LLIN is of high importance. Therefore, the current study was conducted to examine the level of ownership and use of LLIN along with identification of associated factors at household level. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Mirab Abaya District, Southern Ethiopia in June and July 2014. A total of 540 households, with an estimated 2690 members, were selected in four kebeles of the district known to have high incidence of malaria. Trained data collectors interviewed household heads to collect information on the knowledge, ownership and utilization of LLINs, which was complemented by direct observation on the conditions and use of the nets through house-to-house visit. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine factors associated to LLIN use. Results Of 540 households intended to be included in the survey, 507 responded to the study (94.24% response rate), covering the homes of 2759 people. More than 58% of the households had family size >5 (the regional average), and 60.2% of them had at least one child below the age of 5 years. The ownership of at least one LLIN among households surveyed was 89.9%, and using at least one LLIN during the night prior to the survey among net owners was 85.1% (n = 456). Only 36.7% (186) mentioned at least as the mean of correct scores of all participants for 14 possible malaria symptoms and 32.7% (166) knew at least as the mean of correct scores of all participants for possible preventive methods. Over 30% of nets owned by the households were out of use. After controlling for confounding factors, having two or more sleeping places (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.58, 95% CI 1.17, 5.73), knowledge that LLIN prevents malaria (aOR = 2.51, 95% CI 1.17, 5.37), the presence of hanging bed nets (aOR = 19.24, 95% CI 9.24, 40.07) and walls of the house plastered or painted >12 months ago (aOR = 0.09, 95% CI 0.01, 0.71) were important predictors of LLIN utilization. Conclusions This study found a higher proportion of LLIN ownership and utilization by households than had previously been found in similar studies in Ethiopia, and in many studies in SSA. However, poor knowledge of the transmission mechanisms and the symptoms of malaria, and vector control measures to prevent malaria were evident. Moderate proportions of nets were found to be out of use or in poor repair. Efforts should be in place to maintain the current rate of utilization of LLIN in the district and improve on the identified gaps in order to support the elimination of malaria

Obesity and STING1 genotype associate with 23-valent pneumococcal vaccination efficacy

© 2020, Sebastian etal. BACKGROUND. Obesity has been associated with attenuated vaccine responses and an increased risk of contracting pneumococcal pneumonia, but no study to our knowledge has assessed the impact of obesity and genetics on 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PPSV23) efficacy. We assessed the relationship of obesity (primary analysis) and stimulator of interferon genes (STING1) genotype (secondary analysis) on PPSV23 efficacy. METHODS. Nonobese (BMI 22-25 kg/m2) and obese participants (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) were given a single dose of PPSV23. Blood was drawn immediately prior to and 4-6 weeks after vaccination. Serum samples were used to assess PPSV23-specific antibodies. STING1 genotypes were identified using PCR on DNA extracted from peripheral blood samples. RESULTS. Forty-six participants were categorized as nonobese (n = 23; 56.5% women; mean BMI 23.3 kg/m2) or obese (n = 23; 65.2% women; mean BMI 36.3 kg/m2). Obese participants had an elevated fold change in vaccine-specific responses compared with nonobese participants (P \u3c 0.0001). The WT STING1 group (R232/R232) had a significantly higher PPSV23 response than individuals with a single copy of HAQ-STING1 regardless of BMI (P = 0.0025). When WT was assessed alone, obese participants had a higher fold serotype-specific response compared with nonobese participants (P \u3c 0.0001), but no difference was observed between obese and nonobese individuals with 1 HAQ allele (P = 0.693). CONCLUSIONS. These observations demonstrate a positive association between obesity and PPSV23 efficacy specifically in participants with the WT STING1 genotype. TRIAL REGISTRATION. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02471014. FUNDING. This research was supported by the NIH and the University of Florida MD-PhD Training Program

Cereblon expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to in vitro stimulation with M. leprae

BackgroundThe host immune responses associated with the clinical phenotypes of Mycobacterium leprae infection are not fully understood. The inflammatory complications of leprosy, leprosy reactions, particularly erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), present therapeutic challenges. Thalidomide is an effective drug for ENL but is not widely available due to teratogenicity. Thalidomide binds cereblon (CRBN), a substrate receptor for the E3 ligase complex, promoting ubiquitination. Thus, we investigated the CRBN expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in response to in vitro stimulation with M. leprae with/without CRBN blockade peptide.MethodsBlood samples were obtained from apparently BCG-vaccinated and BCGunvaccinated healthy volunteers. PBMC was isolated and stimulated with irradiated M. leprae with or without CRBN blockade peptide. CRBN, NF-kB, and PARK2 proteins were determined by ELISA, and their gene expression by qPCR.ResultsStimulation with M. leprae significantly increased CRBN gene expression and protein production. Incubation of PBMCs with M. leprae with CRBN blockade significantly increased NF-kB expression. In a subgroup analysis, CRBN and NFkB gene expression following stimulation with M. leprae (p ≤ 0.05) was significantly higher in PBMCs from Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG)-vaccinated individuals compared to those from unvaccinated participants. PARK2 gene expression and parkin protein were significantly decreased in PBMCs stimulated with M. leprae compared to unstimulated PBMCs (p ≤ 0.05). In a subgroup analysis, PARK2 gene expression and parkin protein were decreased in the PBMCs from BCGunvaccinated individuals following incubation with M. leprae compared to those from BCG-vaccinated individuals. Stimulation of the PBMCs with M. leprae with CRBN blockade increased PARK2 gene expression and parkin protein production (p ≤ 0.05).ConclusionThe findings are evidence that CRBN may have a role in modulating PARK2 and NF-kB gene expression in response to M. leprae infection. This needs further investigation in individuals with leprosy. The differential gene expression of CRBN and PARK2 in BCG-vaccinated and BCG-unvaccinated individuals could be further explored to understand the mechanism of BCG protection against leprosy

Investigation of the high rates of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Ethiopia reveals no single driving factor and minimal evidence for zoonotic transmission of Mycobacterium bovis infection

Ethiopia, a high tuberculosis (TB) burden country, reports one of the highest incidence rates of extra-pulmonary TB dominated by cervical lymphadenitis (TBLN). Infection with Mycobacterium bovis has previously been excluded as the main reason for the high rate of extrapulmonary TB in Ethiopia.; Here we examined demographic and clinical characteristics of 953 pulmonary (PTB) and 1198 TBLN patients visiting 11 health facilities in distinct geographic areas of Ethiopia. Clinical characteristics were also correlated with genotypes of the causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.; No major patient or bacterial strain factor could be identified as being responsible for the high rate of TBLN, and there was no association with HIV infection. However, analysis of the demographic data of involved patients showed that having regular and direct contact with live animals was more associated with TBLN than with PTB, although no M. bovis was isolated from patients with TBLN. Among PTB patients, those infected with Lineage 4 reported "contact with other TB patient" more often than patients infected with Lineage 3 did (OR = 1.6, CI 95% 1.0-2.7; p = 0.064). High fever, in contrast to low and moderate fever, was significantly associated with Lineage 4 (OR = 2.3; p = 0.024). On the other hand, TBLN cases infected with Lineage 4 tended to get milder symptoms overall for the constitutional symptoms than those infected with Lineage 3.; The study suggests a complex role for multiple interacting factors in the epidemiology of extrapulmonary TB in Ethiopia, including factors that can only be derived from population-based studies, which may prove to be significant for TB control in Ethiopia