Evaluation of the diagnostic performance of PanbioTM Abbott SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test for the detection of COVID-19 from suspects attending ALERT center

BACKGROUND: The emergence and rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a potentially lethal disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is causing public health issues around the world. In resource-constrained nations, rapid Abbott SARS-CoV-2 antigen test kits are critical for addressing diagnostic gaps in health institutions and community screening. However, there is no evidence or proof of diagnostic performance in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of PanbioTM Abbott SARS-CoV-2antigen rapid test kit to the gold standard, RT-PCR, in COVID-19 patients with clinical symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. METHOD: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2021 and April 2022, on 120 suspected patients recruited from outpatient, emergency, and intensive care units in one of the tertiary hospitals in Ethiopia. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from suspected cases and were tested using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 kit, a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and compared to the reference standard RT-PCR. RESULT: The sensitivity and specificity of the RDT were 74.2% and 100%, respectively. A total of 62 samples (51.6%) were RT-PCR positive. Of these, 46 were Ag-RDT positive. Sensitivity among symptomatic patients was 79.4% (95% CI 68.3-90). The Abbot RDT and RT-PCR had a Kappa value of agreement of 0.735 (p < 0.001). These values were acceptable when compared to the WHO's suggested thresholds. CONCLUSION: The finding from this study support the use of the Abbot RDT as a diagnostic tool in COVID-19 suspects, mainly in those with higher viral loads

Animal-related factors associated with moderate-to-severe diarrhea in children younger than five years in western Kenya: A matched case-control study

Background Diarrheal disease remains among the leading causes of global mortality in children younger than 5 years. Exposure to domestic animals may be a risk factor for diarrheal disease. The objectives of this study were to identify animal-related exposures associated with cases of moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) in children in rural western Kenya, and to identify the major zoonotic enteric pathogens present in domestic animals residing in the homesteads of case and control children. Methodology/Principal findings We characterized animal-related exposures in a subset of case and control children (n = 73 pairs matched on age, sex and location) with reported animal presence at home enrolled in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study in western Kenya, and analysed these for an association with MSD. We identified potentially zoonotic enteric pathogens in pooled fecal specimens collected from domestic animals resident at children’s homesteads. Variables that were associated with decreased risk of MSD were washing hands after animal contact (matched odds ratio [MOR] = 0.2; 95% CI 0.08–0.7), and presence of adult sheep that were not confined in a pen overnight (MOR = 0.1; 0.02–0.5). Variables that were associated with increased risk of MSD were increasing number of sheep owned (MOR = 1.2; 1.0–1.5), frequent observation of fresh rodent excreta (feces/urine) outside the house (MOR = 7.5; 1.5–37.2), and participation of the child in providing water to chickens (MOR = 3.8; 1.2–12.2). Of 691 pooled specimens collected from 2,174 domestic animals, 159 pools (23%) tested positive for one or more potentially zoonotic enteric pathogens (Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, non-typhoidal Salmonella, diarrheagenic E. coli, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, or rotavirus). We did not find any association between the presence of particular pathogens in household animals, and MSD in children. Conclusions and significance Public health agencies should continue to promote frequent hand washing, including after animal contact, to reduce the risk of MSD. Future studies should address specific causal relations of MSD with sheep and chicken husbandry practices, and with the presence of rodents

Molecular characterisation of protist parasites in human-habituated mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), humans and livestock, from Bwindi impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Over 60 % of human emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, and there is growing evidence of the zooanthroponotic transmission of diseases from humans to livestock and wildlife species, with major implications for public health, economics, and conservation. Zooanthroponoses are of relevance to critically endangered species; amongst these is the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) of Uganda. Here, we assess the occurrence of Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Giardia, and Entamoeba infecting mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), Uganda, using molecular methods. We also assess the occurrence of these parasites in humans and livestock species living in overlapping/adjacent geographical regions

In vitro antibacterial activity of four plant species used in traditional medicine practices of south Omo zone, southern Ethiopia

&lt;p&gt;Screening of plants used in traditional medicines could provide valuable information regarding antimicrobials. The present study determines the antibacterial activity of crude extracts of four medicinal plants, in vitro, against a panel of American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) (two Grampositive and seven Gram-negative bacteria) and clinical isolates of Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) bacteria (two strains of Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria), by employing agar well diffusion assay. Based on the ethnobotanical data, four plants were chosen and collected from different areas of south Omo. Leaves (Aloe pirottae, Kosteletzkya begoniifolia, and Uvaria leptocladon) and root (Grewia schweinfurthii) of plants were subjected to the extraction process using six different organic solvents. The plants that showed the highest activity indices were further screened against MDR bacterial isolates. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were estimated in the case of the most active plant extract. The results of primary screening revealed that two plants (K. begoniifolia, and U. leptocladon) were highly active against ATCC strains. Ethyl acetate extract of U. leptocladon produced the highest zone of inhibition ranging between 20 ±1.15 mm to 40±1.45 mm against Gramnegative bacteria and 21±0.58 mm to 28±2.03 mm against Gram-positive bacteria. Likewise, extracts of K. begoniifolia in the same solvent produced an inhibitory zone in the range of 10±0.33 mm and 20±1.15 mm corresponding to Gram-positive and Gram-negative type culture bacteria respectively. The results of the comprehensive screening showed that ethyl acetate extract of U. leptocladon efficiently inhibited the growth of MDR bacterial isolates. The overall findings of this study demonstrated that all four plants have antibacterial activities in varying degrees. The ethyl acetate extract of U. leptocladon showed the widest and highest spectrum of antibacterial activities in the range of 15.7±0.3 to 23.7±0.7 mm as per agar well diffusion assay, whereas the MIC values of U. leptocladon against the Gram-negative bacteria ranged between 7.8 and 125 μg/ml and the corresponding MBC values were found to be in the range of 15 and 500 μg/ml. MIC and MBC values were found to be the least, 125 μg/ml and 500 μg/ml respectively in the case of Gram-positive bacteria. Overall results substantiate the traditional uses of U. leptocladon as an antibacterial agent.&lt;/p&gt

Deterioration of streamflow monitoring in Omo-Gibe Basin in Ethiopia

Poor availability and accuracy of streamflow data constrains research and operational hydrology. We evaluated the status of forty streamflow stations and data quality in the Omo-Gibe basin, Ethiopia. The method included a 3-week field inspection of the stations. Inspection of stations followed common WMO guidelines for appropriate gauging sites. Feedback of observers was collected, and the streamflow data was analyzed. Most of the stations were installed on rivers at headwater catchments. Only 17% of the stations were fully operational whereas the remaining stations require major maintenance. Common problems of the time series data include short observation period, large number of missing records, and inhomogeneity. Nearly all observers expressed dissatisfaction due to lack of supervision, uncertain salary payments and lack of recognition of their contribution. The findings of this study indicate the need to investigate the institutional barriers that affected the homogeneity, completeness, and timeliness of the stream data