Prevalence of Campylobacter foetus and Trichomonas foetus among cattle from Southern Africa

Trichomoniasis and campylobacteriosis are diseases caused by Trichomonas foetus and Campylobacter foetus respectively. These diseases pose economic losses due to infertility and abortion. The aim of this retrospective study was to estimate the prevalence of C. foetus and T. foetus among southern African cattle. Sheath washings and scrapings were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for diagnosis of these microorganisms. Out of 3, 458 samples that were tested for T. foetus, 142 (4.1%) were positive. Campylobacter foetus was detected in 60 of the 3, 161 (1.9%) samples. The use of PCR was convenient for estimating the prevalence of C. foetus and T. foetus.Key words: Species-specific PCR, diagnosis, venereal disease, Campylobacter foetus, Trichomonas foetus

Rapid trachoma assessment in Kersa District, Southwest Ethiopia

Background: Trachoma is the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide. Though trachoma can be treated with antibiotics (active trachoma) or surgery (trachomatous trichiasis), it is still endemic in most parts of Ethiopia. Despite the prevalence of this infectious disease in different parts of the country, district level data is lacking. This study was thus conducted to assess the prevalence estimate of trachoma and its risk factors in Kersa District, Southwest Ethiopia.Methods: A community based cross sectional Rapid Assessment of Trachoma was conducted using a WHO guideline. Six sub-districts were selected from Kersa District based on primary high risk assessment and from each sub-district; 21-27 households were randomly selected. Active trachoma for children aged 1-9 years, trachomatous trichiasis for people above 15 years old and environmental risk factors for trachoma were assessed. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.Results: The overall prevalence estimate of active trachoma was 25.2% (95% CI: 20.7-30.4%). Forty three percent of children had unclean faces, 11.5% of households had water source at more than half hour walking distance, 18.2% did not have functional latrine, and 95.3% of the households had solid waste disposal within a distance of 20 meters. Households with environmental risk factors were at an increased risk to active trachoma, but the association was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The prevalence estimate of trachomatous trichiasis inclusive of “trachoma suspects” was 4.5%.Conclusion: Trachoma is endemic in Kersa District with active trachoma being a public health problem in the studied sub-districts. Hence, SAFE strategy should be implemented.Keywords: Trachoma, Trichiasis, Preventable blindness, SAFE strateg

Determination of eligibility to antiretroviral therapy in resource limited settings using total lymphocyte counts, hemoglobin and body mass index among HIV positive patients

Background: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is a serious public health problem in Ethiopia. CD4+ T cell count testing is the standard method for determining eligibility for antiretroviral therapy. However, automation for CD4+ T cell count is not widely available in sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia.Objective: This study was to determine eligibility for antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings using total lymphocyte counts, hemoglobin and body mass index among HIV positive patients.Materials and methods: CD4+ T cell count was determined using Becton Dickinson FACS count analyzer. Total lymphocyte count and hemoglobin concentration were measured by a Cell Dyne 1800 hematology analyzer and body mass index was determined. Correlation of total lymphocyte count, hemoglobin and body mass index with CD4+ T cell count was determined by Pearson’s correlation coefficient and p-value.Results: The correlation between CD4+ T cell count and Total Lymphocyte Count (TLC) was not strong, but the association between CD4+ T cell count and TLC was highly significant and correlation between CD4+ T cell counts with hemoglobin were very weak. The sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of TLC using threshold value of 1000 cells/mm3 for CD4+ T cell counts <350 cells/mm3 were 3% , 94%, 17% and 71%, respectively. Total lymphocyte count threshold of 1750 cells/mm3 were the better predictor of CD4+ T cell counts of <350 cells/mm3 when compared to < 200 cells/mm3.Conclusion: TLC showed weak correlation with CD4+ T cell counts but the association between CD4+ T cell count with TLC was significant (p<0.0001). The TLC threshold of 1750 cells/mm3 were the most accurate predictors of CD4+ T cell counts of <350 cells/mm3. Therefore, the significant association of TLC with CD4+ T cell count may suggest that TLC could be used as marker for CD4+ T cell count in determining anti-retroviral treatment initiation when CD4+ T cell count is not available particularly in rural settings where laboratory facilities are lacking

Sub-sampling a large physical soil archive for additional analyses to support spatial mapping; a pre-registered experiment in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia

The value of physical archives of soil material from field sampling activities has been widely recognized. If we want to use archive material for new destructive analyses to support a task, such as spatial mapping, then an efficient sub-sampling strategy is needed, both to manage analytical costs and to conserve the archive material. In this paper we present an approach to this problem when the objective is spatial mapping by ordinary kriging. Our objective was to subsample the physical archive from the Ethiopia Soil Information System (EthioSIS) survey of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) for spatial mapping of two variables, concentrations of particular fractions of selenium and iodine in the soil, which had not been measured there. We used data from cognate parts of surrounding regions of Ethiopia to estimate variograms of these properties, and then computed prediction error variances for maps in SNNPR based on proposed subsets of the archive of different size, selected to optimize a spatial coverage criterion (with some close sample pairs included). On this basis a subsample was selected. This is a preregistered experiment in that we have proposed criteria for evaluating the success of our approach, and are publishing that in advance of receiving analytical data on the subsampled material from the laboratories where they are being processed. A subsequent short report will publish the outcome. The use of preregistered trials is widely recommended and used in areas of science including public health, and we believe that it is a sound strategy to promote reproducible research in soil science

High erythromycin-resistant Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli among humans and chickens in Africa

Human Campylobacter spp. enteritis is a common bacterial foodborne illness globally. C. jejuni and C. coli are implicated: chickens are carriers of these bacteria without showing clinical symptoms. The burden of antimicrobial resistant Campylobacter is increasing worldwide. However, there are limited data on the extent of antimicrobial resistance in Africa. Objective: This review aimed to estimate the pooled magnitude of antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli. Materials and methods: To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Checklist. Literature search used relevant terms and phrases combined using the Boolean operators. The databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Hinnari, and Google were used to find relevant articles. All necessary data were extracted using a standardized data extraction format by two individuals independently. A quality assessment of selected articles was made using Newcastle–Ottawa scale adapted for cross sectional studies. Result: A total 12 studies were identified by this systematic review and meta-analysis. Of 1,142 isolates documented in the papers, 858 (75.1%) were C. jejuni and 284 (24.9%) were C. coli. We found C. jejuni showed lowest resistance level (21.2%) to ciprofloxacin and highest resistance level to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(78.2%) whereas C. coli showed lowest resistance level (18.3%) to ciprofloxacin and highest level of resistance (82.7%) to azithromycin. The overall pooled magnitude of erythromycin resistance C. jejuni and C. coli among in human and chicken subjects was 51.0% and 54.0%, respectively. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis found high pooled magnitude of erythromycin resistant C. jejuni and C. coli among isolates from both humans and chickens in Africa. More One Health research is needed to give a clear picture on antimicrobial resistance and transmission dynamics of Campylobacter spp. in Africa, covering both humans and poultry

Promoting Partnership and Interdisciplinarity in Evolving LIS Education

Panel presentation for The Multidisciplinary Information Research Symposium (MIRS-2019). The panel brings together diverse stakeholders and explored the current landscape shaping the future of information, language and power in a global and digital world. The combined presentation slides offer summary of panelists' perspectives on partnership, interdiciplinarity, new challenges, as well as new opportunities for LIS research

International Conference on Knowledge Management

The 17th International Conference on Knowledge Management was held in the historic city of Potsdam, Germany. Since the conference was among the first post-pandemic face to face conferences, the overall theme of the 17th edition of the ICKM conference rightly focused on “Knowledge, Uncertainty and Risks: From individual to global scale” at different levels of analysis and agency. This document highlighted one of the panels and the panelists argue that open access to scholarly knowledge production should be the modus operandi in the time and age we live in. Open access to knowledge is critical not just to accelerate advances in finding solutions to societal issues, but also to meet the growing expectations around higher education institutions’ social responsibilities in times of uncertainties

Revisiting the Evolving Landscape of Open Access and Scholarly Communication

Presentation at the 2018 Annual Conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education. This presentation contains questions and topics of discussion for the panelists

Sub-sampling a large physical soil archive for additional analyses to support spatial mapping; a pre-registered experiment in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia

The value of physical archives of soil material from field sampling activities has been widely recognized. If we want to use archive material for new destructive analyses to support a task, such as spatial mapping, then an efficient sub-sampling strategy is needed, both to manage analytical costs and to conserve the archive material. In this paper we present an approach to this problem when the objective is spatial mapping by ordinary kriging. Our objective was to subsample the physical archive from the Ethiopia Soil Information System (EthioSIS) survey of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) for spatial mapping of two variables, concentrations of particular fractions of selenium and iodine in the soil, which had not been measured there. We used data from cognate parts of surrounding regions of Ethiopia to estimate variograms of these properties, and then computed prediction error variances for maps in SNNPR based on proposed subsets of the archive of different size, selected to optimize a spatial coverage criterion (with some close sample pairs included). On this basis a subsample was selected. This is a preregistered experiment in that we have proposed criteria for evaluating the success of our approach, and are publishing that in advance of receiving analytical data on the subsampled material from the laboratories where they are being processed. A subsequent short report will publish the outcome. The use of preregistered trials is widely recommended and used in areas of science including public health, and we believe that it is a sound strategy to promote reproducible research in soil science

Problematic khat use as a possible risk factor for harmful use of other psychoactive substances: a mixed method study in Ethiopia

Background: Substance use disorders along with neuropsychiatric disorders contributed about 14% of the global burden of disease. Harmful alcohol use, is a known contributor for many harms (accidents, suicide, violence, and complication of other psychiatric and medical disorders). In the Western countries, alcohol and nicotine are gateway drugs to cannabis use, and cannabis use is a risky behavior for other illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Khat use is another psychoactive substance which is common in East African and Arabian Peninsula. But there is a knowledge gap regarding the position of khat use or problematic khat use in sequential progression of different psychoactive substances. Therefore, we aimed to understand and investigate the relationship of problematic khat use and other psychoactive substances in Ethiopia. Methods: Exploratory mixed methods study was employed. Quantitative cross sectional survey was done among 102 khat users, and 4 focus group discussions and 11 in-depth interviews were conducted to understand the pathways between khat use and other psychoactive substances use in 2014. Non random sampling (purposive and snowballing) was employed for both quantitative and qualitative studies. Khat users from khat cafeterias, shops, and from other open markets of khat in Addis Ababa were invited to participate. Result: Currently significant majorities of khat users (86.3%) used at least one other psychoactive substance after they started khat use. The prevalence of harmful drinking was 53.9% among khat users. Problematic khat use was a significant predictor of harmful drinking (p<0.05). About one from ten respondents engaged to risky sexual behavior pushed by the effect of khat after chewing. Conclusion: The proportion of psychoactive substances use especially harmful drinking among khat users was observed higher compared to other cross sectional surveys conducted among general population. In Ethiopia, intervention and policy on harmful alcohol use could consider problematic khat use as one possible risky factor. A rigorous methodology which could test gateway hypothesis