Prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites of dogs and associated risk factors in Adama Town, Central Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2013 to April 2014 with the objectives of estimating the prevalence ofhelminth parasites of dogs and associated risk factors in Adama. Standard fecal flotation and sedimentation techniques were used to identify parasite ova. Accordingly the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites of dogs was found to be 82.03% (95% CI, 77.8-85. 7). Helminth species identified were Ancylostoma spp, Dipylidium caninum, Toxocara canis, Strongyloides stercolaris, Echinococcus granulosus, Trichuris uulpis, Taenia spp and Toxoascaris leonina. Ancylostoma spp were the most frequent and T. leonina was the least abundant parasite observed with prevalence of 40.1 % and 0.26%, respectively. The prevalence of helminth parasites was significantly higher (p>0.05) in young (91.4%) than adult (76.6%) dogs. Thin dogs had significantly higher (p>0.05) overall prevalence (92.8%) than fat dogs (67. 7%). Non-confined dogs had higher prevalence (92.5%) than partially confined (83.1 %) and fully confined (64.5%) dogs, the difference being statistically significant between the non-confined and fully confined categories (p<0.05). Among the three frequently observed parasites T. canis had significantly higher prevalence in young dogs. Poor body condition and degree of dog's home confinement were associated with Ancylostoma spp (p<0.05); while prevalence of D. caninum was not affected by any of the risk factors considered. Sex and breed of dogs had no significant effect on prevalence both at the overall and individual parasite levels (p>0.05). The presence of these parasites with the observed abundance and subsequent contamination of the environment by parasite ova and larvae is of public health importance. Strategic treatment of young dogs at the earliest possible age and responsible dog ownership with proper housing management were forwarded as recommendation.Keywords: Adama, Ancylostoma spp, Helminth parasites, Risk factors, Toxocara canis, Zoonose

Cause and effect of informal sector: the case of street vendors in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Masteroppgave i bedriftsøkonomi - Universitetet i Nordland, 201

Sero-prevalence study of bluetongue infection in sheep and goats in selected areas of Ethiopia

Bluetongue is an infectious, a non-contagious, arthropod borne viral disease ofruminants and has been reported from most of the tropical and subtropical regionsof the world. Seroprevalence study was carried from July, 2013 to January,2015 to understand bluetongue virus infection in selected areas of sheep andgoats found in and around small ruminant breed improvement center. A total of1420 sera samples from sheep and goats were collected and screened for the presence of group specific bluetongue virus antibody using competitive Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay(c-ELISA) with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 99%. The overall seroprevalence of bluetongue virus antibody was 69.01% and 60.53% in sheep and goats, respectively. Seroprevalence of bluetongue ranges from 14.5% (Adami Tulu Research Center) to 91.43 % (Benestemay). Antibody to bluetongue virus was detected from both sheep and goats in all study areas. Result of this study showed that small ruminant dwelling in and around the small ruminantbreed improvement centers are exposed to bluetongue virus. In the present studyareas there were no observation of clinical cases in any species of animals. Thisindicates that local breed of animals are resistant to clinical disease of bluetongueinfection and or there may be circulation of mild virus strain in the population andso further studies are required to determine the bluetongue serotypes that arecirculating in sheep and goats.Keywords: Bluetongue Virus, ELISA, Seroprevalence, Sheep and Goats, Ethiopi

Survey on indigestible foreign bodies in the rumen and reticulum of cattle slaughtered at Nekemte municipal abattoir, Nekemte, Ethiopia

A cross sectional study was conducted on cattle slaughtered at Nekemte Municipal Abattoir, Nekemte, East Wollega, Ethiopia from November 2015 to April 2016. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and to identify the type of indigestible foreign bodies in the rumen and reticulum of slaughtered cattle in association with the hypothetical risk factors. Each compartments of stomach was opened carefully and thorough visual inspection was made for the presence of indigestible foreign bodies. Of the 384 randomly selected cattle, overall foreign body detection was recorded in rumen and reticulum of 67(17.5%) the cattle examined. There was a higher prevalence of rumen and reticulum foreign bodies in female (25.4%) than in male cattle (15.4%) (χ2=3.99, p < 0.05). From the three age groups examined, the prevalence was higher (23.4%) in animals in the old age group than the younger (20.4%) and adult groups (12%) (χ2= 7.9096; p<0.05). Foreign bodies collected were of different types including plastic (31.34%), clothes (21.4%), calcified bodies (4.5%) and wires (4.5%). Foreign bodies weighing ≥300 grams were recorded in greater percentage 21(21.8%) in animals with poor body condition than those with medium 17(8.3%) and good 6(7%) body condition. This study revealed ingestion of different types of indigestible foreign bodies by cattle in the study area posing serious health problem for free grazing cattle. Hence, designing and implementation of appropriate solid waste disposal and management practice is strongly recommended to reduce the risk of ingestion of indigestible foreign bodies by cattle.Keywords: Abattoir; Cattle; Foreign body; Nekemte; Reticulum; Rume

Epidemiological investigation of Peste des petits ruminants virus in small ruminants in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia

International Fund for Agricultural Developmen

Causes and prevention of cherry cracking: a review

Cherry fruit is considered to be quite sensitive to cracking and is the major limiting factor for profitable cherry production in most of the cherry-producing regions of the world. At times, the cracking severity can reach up to 90 %. Although most of the fruit cracking is attributed to direct and possibly localized water uptake through the fruit skin, there are many other interactive factors that can contribute to cracking including the variety grown, skin properties, climate, and so on. The cracking in cherry has been categorized in three distinct forms: stem end cuticular fractures, nose or apical cracking, and the third, side cracking, which is a large crack usually deep into the pulp on the cheek of the fruit and is considered to be most damaging. The type of the crack developed may depend on the particular etiological factor and the shape of the fruit. However, the problem can be minimized to a great extent by knowing the cause and accordingly, adapting certain management practices, of which irrigation management, protective covers, and mineral supplements are of prime consideration

Global, regional, and national prevalence and mortality burden of sickle cell disease, 2000-2021: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND: Previous global analyses, with known underdiagnosis and single cause per death attribution systems, provide only a small insight into the suspected high population health effect of sickle cell disease. Completed as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, this study delivers a comprehensive global assessment of prevalence of sickle cell disease and mortality burden by age and sex for 204 countries and territories from 2000 to 2021. METHODS: We estimated cause-specific sickle cell disease mortality using standardised GBD approaches, in which each death is assigned to a single underlying cause, to estimate mortality rates from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-coded vital registration, surveillance, and verbal autopsy data. In parallel, our goal was to estimate a more accurate account of sickle cell disease health burden using four types of epidemiological data on sickle cell disease: birth incidence, age-specific prevalence, with-condition mortality (total deaths), and excess mortality (excess deaths). Systematic reviews, supplemented with ICD-coded hospital discharge and insurance claims data, informed this modelling approach. We employed DisMod-MR 2.1 to triangulate between these measures-borrowing strength from predictive covariates and across age, time, and geography-and generated internally consistent estimates of incidence, prevalence, and mortality for three distinct genotypes of sickle cell disease: homozygous sickle cell disease and severe sickle cell β-thalassaemia, sickle-haemoglobin C disease, and mild sickle cell β-thalassaemia. Summing the three models yielded final estimates of incidence at birth, prevalence by age and sex, and total sickle cell disease mortality, the latter of which was compared directly against cause-specific mortality estimates to evaluate differences in mortality burden assessment and implications for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). FINDINGS: Between 2000 and 2021, national incidence rates of sickle cell disease were relatively stable, but total births of babies with sickle cell disease increased globally by 13·7% (95% uncertainty interval 11·1-16·5), to 515 000 (425 000-614 000), primarily due to population growth in the Caribbean and western and central sub-Saharan Africa. The number of people living with sickle cell disease globally increased by 41·4% (38·3-44·9), from 5·46 million (4·62-6·45) in 2000 to 7·74 million (6·51-9·2) in 2021. We estimated 34 400 (25 000-45 200) cause-specific all-age deaths globally in 2021, but total sickle cell disease mortality burden was nearly 11-times higher at 376 000 (303 000-467 000). In children younger than 5 years, there were 81 100 (58 800-108 000) deaths, ranking total sickle cell disease mortality as 12th (compared to 40th for cause-specific sickle cell disease mortality) across all causes estimated by the GBD in 2021. INTERPRETATION: Our findings show a strikingly high contribution of sickle cell disease to all-cause mortality that is not apparent when each death is assigned to only a single cause. Sickle cell disease mortality burden is highest in children, especially in countries with the greatest under-5 mortality rates. Without comprehensive strategies to address morbidity and mortality associated with sickle cell disease, attainment of SDG 3.1, 3.2, and 3.4 is uncertain. Widespread data gaps and correspondingly high uncertainty in the estimates highlight the urgent need for routine and sustained surveillance efforts, further research to assess the contribution of conditions associated with sickle cell disease, and widespread deployment of evidence-based prevention and treatment for those with sickle cell disease. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Global burden of chronic respiratory diseases and risk factors, 1990–2019: an update from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CRDs and their attributable risks from 1990 to 2019. Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we estimated mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), prevalence, and incidence of CRDs, i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumoconiosis, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis, and other CRDs, from 1990 to 2019 by sex, age, region, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) in 204 countries and territories. Deaths and DALYs from CRDs attributable to each risk factor were estimated according to relative risks, risk exposure, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level input. Findings: In 2019, CRDs were the third leading cause of death responsible for 4.0 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval 3.6–4.3) with a prevalence of 454.6 million cases (417.4–499.1) globally. While the total deaths and prevalence of CRDs have increased by 28.5% and 39.8%, the age-standardised rates have dropped by 41.7% and 16.9% from 1990 to 2019, respectively. COPD, with 212.3 million (200.4–225.1) prevalent cases, was the primary cause of deaths from CRDs, accounting for 3.3 million (2.9–3.6) deaths. With 262.4 million (224.1–309.5) prevalent cases, asthma had the highest prevalence among CRDs. The age-standardised rates of all burden measures of COPD, asthma, and pneumoconiosis have reduced globally from 1990 to 2019. Nevertheless, the age-standardised rates of incidence and prevalence of interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis have increased throughout this period. Low- and low-middle SDI countries had the highest age-standardised death and DALYs rates while the high SDI quintile had the highest prevalence rate of CRDs. The highest deaths and DALYs from CRDs were attributed to smoking globally, followed by air pollution and occupational risks. Non-optimal temperature and high body-mass index were additional risk factors for COPD and asthma, respectively. Interpretation: Albeit the age-standardised prevalence, death, and DALYs rates of CRDs have decreased, they still cause a substantial burden and deaths worldwide. The high death and DALYs rates in low and low-middle SDI countries highlights the urgent need for improved preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures. Global strategies for tobacco control, enhancing air quality, reducing occupational hazards, and fostering clean cooking fuels are crucial steps in reducing the burden of CRDs, especially in low- and lower-middle income countries