Background To date, isoniazid mono-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is becoming an emerging global pub... more Background To date, isoniazid mono-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is becoming an emerging global public health problem. It is associated with poor treatment outcome. Different studies have assessed the treatment outcome of isoniazid mono-resistant TB cases, however, the findings are inconsistent and there is limited global comprehensive report. Thus, this study aimed to assess the poor treatment outcome and its associated risk factors among patients with isoniazid mono-resistant TB. Methods Studies that reported the treatment outcomes and associated factors among isoniazid mono-resistant TB were searched from electronic databases and other sources. We used Joana Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool to assess the study’s quality. We assessed publication bias through visual inspection of the funnel plot and confirmed by Egger’s regression test. We used STATA version 17 for statistical analysis. Results Among 347 studies identified from the whole search, data were extracted from 25 st...
Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that affects humans and animals and dogs
are the primary sour... more Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that affects humans and animals and dogs
are the primary source of infection. Information on domestic dog populations
is vitally important for rabies control. The present study is to assess the demography
of dogs, the incidence of dog bites, and the knowledge, attitude,
and practice (KAP) of the communities concerning rabies in Bishoftu town.
Cross-sectional household surveys were conducted from April to June 2021
involving a questionnaire survey and collection of retrospective patient records
from healthcare facilities. A total of 244 respondents were interviewed using a
structured questionnaire format to determine their KAP about rabies and dog
ownership. Data on the incidence of dog bites and suspected cases of rabies
from November 2019 to June 2021 were retrieved from the records of four
health centers in Bishoftu town. In interviewed households (HH) 51.2 % owned
at least one dog with a dog: human ratio of 1:9 and 1.54 dogs/household. In
the participating households, 71% of dogs had been vaccinated against rabies.
Almost all, 99% of the respondents had heard of rabies and identified the mode
of transmission of rabies. However, 61.8%, had a moderate level of knowledge
and 59.8% had an intermediate level of attitude, and 64.3% satisfactory level
of appropriate rabies prevention practices score. There was a statistically significant
association between knowledge score and age, occupation, and source
of information as well as attitude score with age and source of information
(p<0.05). Respondents who attend higher education were more likely to have
higher practice scores in the prevention of rabies (p <0.05). There were significant
correlations among the participant’s knowledge, attitude, and practice
(p<0.01). A total of 612 victims were registered and received the post-exposure
vaccine in Bishoftu over two years (2019 to 2021). We identified critical knowledge
gaps related to factors influencing rabies prevention and control. The veterinary
and public health sectors should play an important role in educatingand raising community awareness. Moreover, the production and use of the
banned nerve tissue vaccine in the public health sector in Ethiopia need attention.
BackgroundHomeless individuals are at a high risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M... more BackgroundHomeless individuals are at a high risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) as compared to the general population. The number of homeless individuals has been increasing in Addis Ababa City during the last three decades due to the migration of rural inhabitants to the City for better living conditions. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and evaluate associated risk factors in homeless individuals in Addis Ababa City.MethodsA total of 5,600 homeless individuals were screened for PTB symptoms using WHO guideline between February 2019 and December 2020. Sputum samples were cultured from individuals with symptoms of PTB for mycobacterial isolation. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with PTB.ResultsThe prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed cases was 1.1% (59/5,600) or 10.54 per 1000 population. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that being homel...
Background The emergence of COVID-19 overwhelmed tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control, result... more Background The emergence of COVID-19 overwhelmed tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control, resulting in a decrease in TB detection rate and an increase in TB deaths. Furthermore, the temporary immunosuppressive effects, lung inflammation, and the corticosteroids used to treat COVID-19, may play a direct role in immunosuppression, leading to reactivation of either previous infection or latent TB or the development of new TB. Thus, the aim of this study was to review TB incidence in individuals who recovered from COVID-19. Methods We conducted a systematic search of available databases for previously published studies that reported TB in COVID-19 survivors. The PRISMA checklist was used to guide the review, and the JBI checklist was used to evaluate the study’s quality. The descriptive data were summarized. Results Data were extracted from 21 studies conducted in 13 countries having 33 cases. The median age was 44 years (range; 13.5–80), and more than half (18, 54.5%) were males. Twel...
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a disease with impact on dairy productivity, as well as having the p... more Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a disease with impact on dairy productivity, as well as having the potential for zoonotic transmission. Understanding the genetic diversity of the disease agent Mycobacterium bovis is important for identifying its routes of transmission. Here we investigated the level of genetic diversity of M. bovis isolates and assessed the zoonotic potential in risk groups of people working in bTB-infected dairy farms in central Ethiopia. M. bovis was isolated and spoligotyped from tissue lesions collected from slaughtered cattle as well as from raw milk collected from bTB positive cows in dairy farms from six urban areas of central Ethiopia. From consented dairy farm workers, knowledge and practices related to zoonotic TB transmission, together with demographic and clinical information, was collected through interviews. Sputum or Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) samples were collected from suspected TB cases. Spoligotyping of 55 M. bovis isolates that originated either from cattle tissues with tuberculous lesion or from raw milk revealed seven spoligotype patterns where SB1176 was the most prevalent type (47.3%). Most isolates (89.1%) were of the M. bovis African 2 clonal complex. All sputum and FNA samples from 41 dairy farm workers with symptoms of TB were culture negative for any mycobacteria. Among the This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Equine histoplasmosis commonly known as epizootic lymphangitis (EL) is a neglected granulomatous ... more Equine histoplasmosis commonly known as epizootic lymphangitis (EL) is a neglected granulomatous disease of equine that is endemic to Ethiopia. It is caused by Histoplasma capsulatum variety farciminosum, a dimorphic fungus that is closely related to H. capsulatum variety capsulatum. The objective of this study was to undertake a phylogenetic analysis of H. capsulatum isolated from EL cases of horses in central Ethiopia and evaluate their relationship with H. capsulatum isolates in other countries and/or clades using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rRNA genes. Clinical and mycological examinations, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Sanger sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis were used for undertaking this study. Additionally, sequence data of Histoplasma isolates were retrieved from GenBank and included for a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis. A total of 390 horses were screened for EL and 97 were positive clinically while H. capsulatum was isolated...
Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among refugees and migrant pop... more Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among refugees and migrant populations. These groups are among the most vulnerable populations at increased risk of developing TB. However, there is no systematic review that attempts to summarize TB among refugees and migrant populations. This study aimed to summarize evidence on the magnitude of TB among refugees and migrant populations. The findings of this review will provide evidence to improve TB prevention and control policies in refugees and migrants in refugee camps and in migrant-hosting countries. A systematic search was done to retrieve the articles published from 2014 to 2021 in English language from electronic databases. Key searching terms were used in both free text and Medical Subject Heading (MeSH). Articles which had reported the magnitude of TB among refugees and migrant populations were included in the review. We assessed the risk of bias, and quality of the included studies with a modified versi...
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is one of the top three, high-priority, livestock diseases in Ethiopia ... more Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is one of the top three, high-priority, livestock diseases in Ethiopia and hence, the need for evaluation of potential control strategies is critical. Here, we applied the test-and-segregate followed by cull strategy for the control of bTB in the intensive Alage dairy farm in Ethiopia. All cattle reared on this farm were repeatedly skin tested using the Comparative Cervical Tuberculin (CCT) test for a total of five times between 2015 and 2021. During the first (October 2015) and second (March 2017) rounds of testing, all reactor animals (>4 mm) were culled, while those that were deemed as inconclusive (1-4 mm) were segregated and retested. At retest, animals with CCT >2 mm were removed from the herd. In the third (December 2017) and fourth (June 2018) rounds of tuberculin testing, a more stringent approach was taken wherein all reactors per the severe mode of CCT test interpretation (>2 mm) were culled. A final herd status check was performed in May 2021. In summary, the number of CCT positives (>4 mm) in the farm dropped from 23.1% (31/134) in October 2015 to 0% in December 2017 and remained 0% until May 2021. In contrast, the number of Single Cervical Tuberculin (SCT) test positives (>4 mm) increased from 1.8 to 9.5% (from 2017 to 2021), indicating that CCT test might not be sufficient to effectively clear the herd of bTB. However, a more stringent approach would result in a drastic increase in the number of false positives. The total cost of the bTB control effort in this farm holding 134-200 cattle at any given time was conservatively estimated to be ∼US$48,000. This, together with the need for culling an unacceptably high number of animals based on skin test status, makes the test-and-cull strategy impractical for nationwide implementation in Ethiopia and other low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the infection is endemic. Hence, there is an increased emphasis on the need to explore alternate, affordable measures such as vaccination alongside accurate diagnostics to help control bTB in endemic settings.
Epizootic lymphangitis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum variety farciminosum is a debilitating di... more Epizootic lymphangitis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum variety farciminosum is a debilitating disease incurring considerable economic losses and affecting the welfare of carthorses. Understanding of its epidemiology is important for devising effective prevention and control measures. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 4,162 carthorses in 17 towns in Ethiopia between October 2018 and June 2019. Clinical and microscopic examinations, fungal culturing, and polymerase chain reaction were used to undertake this study. The overall prevalence of epizootic lymphangitis was 16.67% (95% CI: 15.55–17.84) in carthorses. Epizootic lymphangitis was detected in carthorses found in 16 of the 17 towns included in the study. The highest prevalence was recorded at Kombolcha Town (33.33; 95% CI: 27.54–39.52) whereas the lowest was recorded at Debre Birhan Town (0.00; 95% CI: 0.00–1.27). The results of univariable firth logistic regression analysis showed that the difference between the prevalenc...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jan 19, 2015
Nunavik, Québec suffers from epidemic tuberculosis (TB), with an incidence 50-fold higher than th... more Nunavik, Québec suffers from epidemic tuberculosis (TB), with an incidence 50-fold higher than the Canadian average. Molecular studies in this region have documented limited bacterial genetic diversity among Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates, consistent with a founder strain and/or ongoing spread. We have used whole-genome sequencing on 163 M. tuberculosis isolates from 11 geographically isolated villages to provide a high-resolution portrait of bacterial genetic diversity in this setting. All isolates were lineage 4 (Euro-American), with two sublineages present (major, n = 153; minor, n = 10). Among major sublineage isolates, there was a median of 46 pairwise single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) was in the early 20th century. Pairs of isolates within a village had significantly fewer SNPs than pairs from different villages (median: 6 vs. 47, P < 0.00005), indicating that most transmission occurs within villages. There was an excess...
The aim of this study was to estimate global TB incidence in patients with CKD. Methods: The Pref... more The aim of this study was to estimate global TB incidence in patients with CKD. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method was followed to perform the study. Electronic and gray literature sources were investigated for studies published between 20 0 0 and 2021. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist was used to assess the quality of the studies, and STATA version 16 was used for analysis. The I 2 heterogeneity test was employed to assess heterogeneity. To examine publication bias, funnel plots and Egger's regression tests were performed. Results: A total of 104 studies with a sample size of 1,548,774 were included. TB incidence in patients with CKD ranges from 60 per 10 0
Background Paratuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is a ch... more Background Paratuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is a chronic progressive granulomatous enteritis affecting ruminants and a wide variety of domestic and wild life species worldwide. Although there are reports of clinical cases of paratuberculosis in different veterinary clinics in Ethiopia, there is no epidemiological data on this disease in Ethiopia. Thus, this study was formulated to investigate the prevalence and pathology of paratuberculosis in apparently healthy cattle slaughtered at ELFORA export abattoir. Small intestines and associated mesenteric lymph nodes of 400 cattle slaughtered at ELFORA export abattoir were examined for gross pathological lesions of paratuberculosis. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination. The microscopic lesions were then graded on the basis of the type and amount of cellular infiltrations. Results When the intestines and the corresponding lymph nodes were examined in the slaughterhouses ...
BACKGROUND: Rabies still poses a significant health problem in most of African countries, where t... more BACKGROUND: Rabies still poses a significant health problem in most of African countries, where the majority of the cases result from dog bites. The situations in the marginalized pastoral areas were not well documented.CASE: In September 2015, rabid wild fox entered the pastoralist village and bit a domestic dog. The victim dog had turned rabid after four months and bit livestock, and rabies outbreak occurred in the family livestock. Consequently, one bull, one lactating cow, one calf, two donkeys and one heifer died of outbreak. The head of one heifer was removed and transported within 24 hours to the Rabies Referral Laboratory of Ethiopian Public Health Institute in Addis Ababa. The sample was confirmed as strong positive for lyssa virus antigen by Direct Fluorescent Anti-Body Test. This was the first confirmed case report from southern Oromia pastoralists. The occurrence of rabies cases across the district was also reported by veterinary and human health officers.CONCLUSION: Int...
Local immunological responses at the site of infections, such as at the lymph nodes and lungs, do... more Local immunological responses at the site of infections, such as at the lymph nodes and lungs, do play a role in containing infection caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). This bovine tuberculosis (bTB) study was conducted to evaluate cellular and cytokine responses in the lymph nodes and lungs of BCG-vaccinated and non-vaccinated calves that were naturally infected with M. bovis. Immunohistochemical assays were used for examination of the responses of macrophages, T cells, cytokines and chemical mediators of 40 (22 vaccinated and 18 non-vaccinated) Holstein-Friesian-zebu crossbred calves that were naturally exposed for 1 year to a known bTB positive cattle herd. The incidence rates of bTB visible lesion were 68.2% (15/22) and 89% (16/18) in vaccinated and non-vaccinated calves, respectively. The local responses of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and those of IFN-γ and TNF-α within the lesions, were stronger (P < 0.05) in BCG-vaccinated calves than in non-vaccinated calves. However, t...
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is prevalent in intensive dairy farms in Ethiopia. Vaccination could be... more Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is prevalent in intensive dairy farms in Ethiopia. Vaccination could be an alternative control approach given the socio-economic challenges of a test-and-slaughter control strategy. The efficacy of the BCG was evaluated on 40 Holstein-Friesian (HF) and zebu crossbred calves recruited from single intradermal cervical comparative tuberculin (SICCT) test negative herds and randomly allocated into two groups. Twenty-two calves were vaccinated within 2 weeks of age, and 18 were kept as a control. Six weeks post-vaccination, the two groups were exposed and kept mixed with known SICCT test positive cows for 1 year. Immune responses were monitored by interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assay (IGRA), SICCT test, and antibody assay. Vaccinated calves developed strong responses to the SICCT test at the sixth week post-vaccination, but did not respond to ESAT-6/CFP-10 peptide antigen-based IGRA. During the exposure, IFN-γ response to the specific peptide cocktail [F(2.44,...
Background Rapid and sensitive Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis closer to patients is a key global TB ... more Background Rapid and sensitive Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis closer to patients is a key global TB control priority. Truenat assays (MTB, MTB Plus, and MTB-RIF Dx) are new TB molecular diagnostic tools for the detection of TB and Rifampicin (RIF)-resistance from sputum samples. The diagnostic accuracy of the assays is needed prior to implementation in clinical use in Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of Truenat assays; and aimed to compare the assays to the Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Methods A prospective evaluation study was conducted among 200 presumptive TB patients in microscopy centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from May 2019 to December 2020. Culture (Solid and Liquid methods) and phenotypic (liquid method) drug susceptibility testing (DST) were used as a reference standard. Results Of 200 adult participants, culture confirmed TB cases were 25 (12.5%), and only one isolate was resistant to RIF by phenotypic DST. The sensitivity of Truenat MTB was 88...
Background To date, isoniazid mono-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is becoming an emerging global pub... more Background To date, isoniazid mono-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is becoming an emerging global public health problem. It is associated with poor treatment outcome. Different studies have assessed the treatment outcome of isoniazid mono-resistant TB cases, however, the findings are inconsistent and there is limited global comprehensive report. Thus, this study aimed to assess the poor treatment outcome and its associated risk factors among patients with isoniazid mono-resistant TB. Methods Studies that reported the treatment outcomes and associated factors among isoniazid mono-resistant TB were searched from electronic databases and other sources. We used Joana Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool to assess the study’s quality. We assessed publication bias through visual inspection of the funnel plot and confirmed by Egger’s regression test. We used STATA version 17 for statistical analysis. Results Among 347 studies identified from the whole search, data were extracted from 25 st...
Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that affects humans and animals and dogs
are the primary sour... more Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that affects humans and animals and dogs
are the primary source of infection. Information on domestic dog populations
is vitally important for rabies control. The present study is to assess the demography
of dogs, the incidence of dog bites, and the knowledge, attitude,
and practice (KAP) of the communities concerning rabies in Bishoftu town.
Cross-sectional household surveys were conducted from April to June 2021
involving a questionnaire survey and collection of retrospective patient records
from healthcare facilities. A total of 244 respondents were interviewed using a
structured questionnaire format to determine their KAP about rabies and dog
ownership. Data on the incidence of dog bites and suspected cases of rabies
from November 2019 to June 2021 were retrieved from the records of four
health centers in Bishoftu town. In interviewed households (HH) 51.2 % owned
at least one dog with a dog: human ratio of 1:9 and 1.54 dogs/household. In
the participating households, 71% of dogs had been vaccinated against rabies.
Almost all, 99% of the respondents had heard of rabies and identified the mode
of transmission of rabies. However, 61.8%, had a moderate level of knowledge
and 59.8% had an intermediate level of attitude, and 64.3% satisfactory level
of appropriate rabies prevention practices score. There was a statistically significant
association between knowledge score and age, occupation, and source
of information as well as attitude score with age and source of information
(p<0.05). Respondents who attend higher education were more likely to have
higher practice scores in the prevention of rabies (p <0.05). There were significant
correlations among the participant’s knowledge, attitude, and practice
(p<0.01). A total of 612 victims were registered and received the post-exposure
vaccine in Bishoftu over two years (2019 to 2021). We identified critical knowledge
gaps related to factors influencing rabies prevention and control. The veterinary
and public health sectors should play an important role in educatingand raising community awareness. Moreover, the production and use of the
banned nerve tissue vaccine in the public health sector in Ethiopia need attention.
BackgroundHomeless individuals are at a high risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M... more BackgroundHomeless individuals are at a high risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) as compared to the general population. The number of homeless individuals has been increasing in Addis Ababa City during the last three decades due to the migration of rural inhabitants to the City for better living conditions. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and evaluate associated risk factors in homeless individuals in Addis Ababa City.MethodsA total of 5,600 homeless individuals were screened for PTB symptoms using WHO guideline between February 2019 and December 2020. Sputum samples were cultured from individuals with symptoms of PTB for mycobacterial isolation. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with PTB.ResultsThe prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed cases was 1.1% (59/5,600) or 10.54 per 1000 population. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that being homel...
Background The emergence of COVID-19 overwhelmed tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control, result... more Background The emergence of COVID-19 overwhelmed tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control, resulting in a decrease in TB detection rate and an increase in TB deaths. Furthermore, the temporary immunosuppressive effects, lung inflammation, and the corticosteroids used to treat COVID-19, may play a direct role in immunosuppression, leading to reactivation of either previous infection or latent TB or the development of new TB. Thus, the aim of this study was to review TB incidence in individuals who recovered from COVID-19. Methods We conducted a systematic search of available databases for previously published studies that reported TB in COVID-19 survivors. The PRISMA checklist was used to guide the review, and the JBI checklist was used to evaluate the study’s quality. The descriptive data were summarized. Results Data were extracted from 21 studies conducted in 13 countries having 33 cases. The median age was 44 years (range; 13.5–80), and more than half (18, 54.5%) were males. Twel...
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a disease with impact on dairy productivity, as well as having the p... more Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a disease with impact on dairy productivity, as well as having the potential for zoonotic transmission. Understanding the genetic diversity of the disease agent Mycobacterium bovis is important for identifying its routes of transmission. Here we investigated the level of genetic diversity of M. bovis isolates and assessed the zoonotic potential in risk groups of people working in bTB-infected dairy farms in central Ethiopia. M. bovis was isolated and spoligotyped from tissue lesions collected from slaughtered cattle as well as from raw milk collected from bTB positive cows in dairy farms from six urban areas of central Ethiopia. From consented dairy farm workers, knowledge and practices related to zoonotic TB transmission, together with demographic and clinical information, was collected through interviews. Sputum or Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) samples were collected from suspected TB cases. Spoligotyping of 55 M. bovis isolates that originated either from cattle tissues with tuberculous lesion or from raw milk revealed seven spoligotype patterns where SB1176 was the most prevalent type (47.3%). Most isolates (89.1%) were of the M. bovis African 2 clonal complex. All sputum and FNA samples from 41 dairy farm workers with symptoms of TB were culture negative for any mycobacteria. Among the This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Equine histoplasmosis commonly known as epizootic lymphangitis (EL) is a neglected granulomatous ... more Equine histoplasmosis commonly known as epizootic lymphangitis (EL) is a neglected granulomatous disease of equine that is endemic to Ethiopia. It is caused by Histoplasma capsulatum variety farciminosum, a dimorphic fungus that is closely related to H. capsulatum variety capsulatum. The objective of this study was to undertake a phylogenetic analysis of H. capsulatum isolated from EL cases of horses in central Ethiopia and evaluate their relationship with H. capsulatum isolates in other countries and/or clades using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rRNA genes. Clinical and mycological examinations, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Sanger sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis were used for undertaking this study. Additionally, sequence data of Histoplasma isolates were retrieved from GenBank and included for a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis. A total of 390 horses were screened for EL and 97 were positive clinically while H. capsulatum was isolated...
Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among refugees and migrant pop... more Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among refugees and migrant populations. These groups are among the most vulnerable populations at increased risk of developing TB. However, there is no systematic review that attempts to summarize TB among refugees and migrant populations. This study aimed to summarize evidence on the magnitude of TB among refugees and migrant populations. The findings of this review will provide evidence to improve TB prevention and control policies in refugees and migrants in refugee camps and in migrant-hosting countries. A systematic search was done to retrieve the articles published from 2014 to 2021 in English language from electronic databases. Key searching terms were used in both free text and Medical Subject Heading (MeSH). Articles which had reported the magnitude of TB among refugees and migrant populations were included in the review. We assessed the risk of bias, and quality of the included studies with a modified versi...
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is one of the top three, high-priority, livestock diseases in Ethiopia ... more Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is one of the top three, high-priority, livestock diseases in Ethiopia and hence, the need for evaluation of potential control strategies is critical. Here, we applied the test-and-segregate followed by cull strategy for the control of bTB in the intensive Alage dairy farm in Ethiopia. All cattle reared on this farm were repeatedly skin tested using the Comparative Cervical Tuberculin (CCT) test for a total of five times between 2015 and 2021. During the first (October 2015) and second (March 2017) rounds of testing, all reactor animals (>4 mm) were culled, while those that were deemed as inconclusive (1-4 mm) were segregated and retested. At retest, animals with CCT >2 mm were removed from the herd. In the third (December 2017) and fourth (June 2018) rounds of tuberculin testing, a more stringent approach was taken wherein all reactors per the severe mode of CCT test interpretation (>2 mm) were culled. A final herd status check was performed in May 2021. In summary, the number of CCT positives (>4 mm) in the farm dropped from 23.1% (31/134) in October 2015 to 0% in December 2017 and remained 0% until May 2021. In contrast, the number of Single Cervical Tuberculin (SCT) test positives (>4 mm) increased from 1.8 to 9.5% (from 2017 to 2021), indicating that CCT test might not be sufficient to effectively clear the herd of bTB. However, a more stringent approach would result in a drastic increase in the number of false positives. The total cost of the bTB control effort in this farm holding 134-200 cattle at any given time was conservatively estimated to be ∼US$48,000. This, together with the need for culling an unacceptably high number of animals based on skin test status, makes the test-and-cull strategy impractical for nationwide implementation in Ethiopia and other low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the infection is endemic. Hence, there is an increased emphasis on the need to explore alternate, affordable measures such as vaccination alongside accurate diagnostics to help control bTB in endemic settings.
Epizootic lymphangitis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum variety farciminosum is a debilitating di... more Epizootic lymphangitis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum variety farciminosum is a debilitating disease incurring considerable economic losses and affecting the welfare of carthorses. Understanding of its epidemiology is important for devising effective prevention and control measures. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 4,162 carthorses in 17 towns in Ethiopia between October 2018 and June 2019. Clinical and microscopic examinations, fungal culturing, and polymerase chain reaction were used to undertake this study. The overall prevalence of epizootic lymphangitis was 16.67% (95% CI: 15.55–17.84) in carthorses. Epizootic lymphangitis was detected in carthorses found in 16 of the 17 towns included in the study. The highest prevalence was recorded at Kombolcha Town (33.33; 95% CI: 27.54–39.52) whereas the lowest was recorded at Debre Birhan Town (0.00; 95% CI: 0.00–1.27). The results of univariable firth logistic regression analysis showed that the difference between the prevalenc...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jan 19, 2015
Nunavik, Québec suffers from epidemic tuberculosis (TB), with an incidence 50-fold higher than th... more Nunavik, Québec suffers from epidemic tuberculosis (TB), with an incidence 50-fold higher than the Canadian average. Molecular studies in this region have documented limited bacterial genetic diversity among Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates, consistent with a founder strain and/or ongoing spread. We have used whole-genome sequencing on 163 M. tuberculosis isolates from 11 geographically isolated villages to provide a high-resolution portrait of bacterial genetic diversity in this setting. All isolates were lineage 4 (Euro-American), with two sublineages present (major, n = 153; minor, n = 10). Among major sublineage isolates, there was a median of 46 pairwise single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) was in the early 20th century. Pairs of isolates within a village had significantly fewer SNPs than pairs from different villages (median: 6 vs. 47, P < 0.00005), indicating that most transmission occurs within villages. There was an excess...
The aim of this study was to estimate global TB incidence in patients with CKD. Methods: The Pref... more The aim of this study was to estimate global TB incidence in patients with CKD. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method was followed to perform the study. Electronic and gray literature sources were investigated for studies published between 20 0 0 and 2021. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist was used to assess the quality of the studies, and STATA version 16 was used for analysis. The I 2 heterogeneity test was employed to assess heterogeneity. To examine publication bias, funnel plots and Egger's regression tests were performed. Results: A total of 104 studies with a sample size of 1,548,774 were included. TB incidence in patients with CKD ranges from 60 per 10 0
Background Paratuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is a ch... more Background Paratuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is a chronic progressive granulomatous enteritis affecting ruminants and a wide variety of domestic and wild life species worldwide. Although there are reports of clinical cases of paratuberculosis in different veterinary clinics in Ethiopia, there is no epidemiological data on this disease in Ethiopia. Thus, this study was formulated to investigate the prevalence and pathology of paratuberculosis in apparently healthy cattle slaughtered at ELFORA export abattoir. Small intestines and associated mesenteric lymph nodes of 400 cattle slaughtered at ELFORA export abattoir were examined for gross pathological lesions of paratuberculosis. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination. The microscopic lesions were then graded on the basis of the type and amount of cellular infiltrations. Results When the intestines and the corresponding lymph nodes were examined in the slaughterhouses ...
BACKGROUND: Rabies still poses a significant health problem in most of African countries, where t... more BACKGROUND: Rabies still poses a significant health problem in most of African countries, where the majority of the cases result from dog bites. The situations in the marginalized pastoral areas were not well documented.CASE: In September 2015, rabid wild fox entered the pastoralist village and bit a domestic dog. The victim dog had turned rabid after four months and bit livestock, and rabies outbreak occurred in the family livestock. Consequently, one bull, one lactating cow, one calf, two donkeys and one heifer died of outbreak. The head of one heifer was removed and transported within 24 hours to the Rabies Referral Laboratory of Ethiopian Public Health Institute in Addis Ababa. The sample was confirmed as strong positive for lyssa virus antigen by Direct Fluorescent Anti-Body Test. This was the first confirmed case report from southern Oromia pastoralists. The occurrence of rabies cases across the district was also reported by veterinary and human health officers.CONCLUSION: Int...
Local immunological responses at the site of infections, such as at the lymph nodes and lungs, do... more Local immunological responses at the site of infections, such as at the lymph nodes and lungs, do play a role in containing infection caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). This bovine tuberculosis (bTB) study was conducted to evaluate cellular and cytokine responses in the lymph nodes and lungs of BCG-vaccinated and non-vaccinated calves that were naturally infected with M. bovis. Immunohistochemical assays were used for examination of the responses of macrophages, T cells, cytokines and chemical mediators of 40 (22 vaccinated and 18 non-vaccinated) Holstein-Friesian-zebu crossbred calves that were naturally exposed for 1 year to a known bTB positive cattle herd. The incidence rates of bTB visible lesion were 68.2% (15/22) and 89% (16/18) in vaccinated and non-vaccinated calves, respectively. The local responses of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and those of IFN-γ and TNF-α within the lesions, were stronger (P < 0.05) in BCG-vaccinated calves than in non-vaccinated calves. However, t...
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is prevalent in intensive dairy farms in Ethiopia. Vaccination could be... more Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is prevalent in intensive dairy farms in Ethiopia. Vaccination could be an alternative control approach given the socio-economic challenges of a test-and-slaughter control strategy. The efficacy of the BCG was evaluated on 40 Holstein-Friesian (HF) and zebu crossbred calves recruited from single intradermal cervical comparative tuberculin (SICCT) test negative herds and randomly allocated into two groups. Twenty-two calves were vaccinated within 2 weeks of age, and 18 were kept as a control. Six weeks post-vaccination, the two groups were exposed and kept mixed with known SICCT test positive cows for 1 year. Immune responses were monitored by interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assay (IGRA), SICCT test, and antibody assay. Vaccinated calves developed strong responses to the SICCT test at the sixth week post-vaccination, but did not respond to ESAT-6/CFP-10 peptide antigen-based IGRA. During the exposure, IFN-γ response to the specific peptide cocktail [F(2.44,...
Background Rapid and sensitive Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis closer to patients is a key global TB ... more Background Rapid and sensitive Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis closer to patients is a key global TB control priority. Truenat assays (MTB, MTB Plus, and MTB-RIF Dx) are new TB molecular diagnostic tools for the detection of TB and Rifampicin (RIF)-resistance from sputum samples. The diagnostic accuracy of the assays is needed prior to implementation in clinical use in Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of Truenat assays; and aimed to compare the assays to the Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Methods A prospective evaluation study was conducted among 200 presumptive TB patients in microscopy centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from May 2019 to December 2020. Culture (Solid and Liquid methods) and phenotypic (liquid method) drug susceptibility testing (DST) were used as a reference standard. Results Of 200 adult participants, culture confirmed TB cases were 25 (12.5%), and only one isolate was resistant to RIF by phenotypic DST. The sensitivity of Truenat MTB was 88...
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Papers by Balako Gumi
are the primary source of infection. Information on domestic dog populations
is vitally important for rabies control. The present study is to assess the demography
of dogs, the incidence of dog bites, and the knowledge, attitude,
and practice (KAP) of the communities concerning rabies in Bishoftu town.
Cross-sectional household surveys were conducted from April to June 2021
involving a questionnaire survey and collection of retrospective patient records
from healthcare facilities. A total of 244 respondents were interviewed using a
structured questionnaire format to determine their KAP about rabies and dog
ownership. Data on the incidence of dog bites and suspected cases of rabies
from November 2019 to June 2021 were retrieved from the records of four
health centers in Bishoftu town. In interviewed households (HH) 51.2 % owned
at least one dog with a dog: human ratio of 1:9 and 1.54 dogs/household. In
the participating households, 71% of dogs had been vaccinated against rabies.
Almost all, 99% of the respondents had heard of rabies and identified the mode
of transmission of rabies. However, 61.8%, had a moderate level of knowledge
and 59.8% had an intermediate level of attitude, and 64.3% satisfactory level
of appropriate rabies prevention practices score. There was a statistically significant
association between knowledge score and age, occupation, and source
of information as well as attitude score with age and source of information
(p<0.05). Respondents who attend higher education were more likely to have
higher practice scores in the prevention of rabies (p <0.05). There were significant
correlations among the participant’s knowledge, attitude, and practice
(p<0.01). A total of 612 victims were registered and received the post-exposure
vaccine in Bishoftu over two years (2019 to 2021). We identified critical knowledge
gaps related to factors influencing rabies prevention and control. The veterinary
and public health sectors should play an important role in educatingand raising community awareness. Moreover, the production and use of the
banned nerve tissue vaccine in the public health sector in Ethiopia need attention.
are the primary source of infection. Information on domestic dog populations
is vitally important for rabies control. The present study is to assess the demography
of dogs, the incidence of dog bites, and the knowledge, attitude,
and practice (KAP) of the communities concerning rabies in Bishoftu town.
Cross-sectional household surveys were conducted from April to June 2021
involving a questionnaire survey and collection of retrospective patient records
from healthcare facilities. A total of 244 respondents were interviewed using a
structured questionnaire format to determine their KAP about rabies and dog
ownership. Data on the incidence of dog bites and suspected cases of rabies
from November 2019 to June 2021 were retrieved from the records of four
health centers in Bishoftu town. In interviewed households (HH) 51.2 % owned
at least one dog with a dog: human ratio of 1:9 and 1.54 dogs/household. In
the participating households, 71% of dogs had been vaccinated against rabies.
Almost all, 99% of the respondents had heard of rabies and identified the mode
of transmission of rabies. However, 61.8%, had a moderate level of knowledge
and 59.8% had an intermediate level of attitude, and 64.3% satisfactory level
of appropriate rabies prevention practices score. There was a statistically significant
association between knowledge score and age, occupation, and source
of information as well as attitude score with age and source of information
(p<0.05). Respondents who attend higher education were more likely to have
higher practice scores in the prevention of rabies (p <0.05). There were significant
correlations among the participant’s knowledge, attitude, and practice
(p<0.01). A total of 612 victims were registered and received the post-exposure
vaccine in Bishoftu over two years (2019 to 2021). We identified critical knowledge
gaps related to factors influencing rabies prevention and control. The veterinary
and public health sectors should play an important role in educatingand raising community awareness. Moreover, the production and use of the
banned nerve tissue vaccine in the public health sector in Ethiopia need attention.