Papers by Haileyesus Dejene
Journal of Parasitic Diseases
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, May 19, 2022
A cross-sectional study was undertaken in four (4) districts of the West Amhara sub-region of Eth... more A cross-sectional study was undertaken in four (4) districts of the West Amhara sub-region of Ethiopia with the aim of assessing the diversity and distribution of serotypes of Pasteurella species, their seroprevalence, and associated risk factors, and knowledge, attitude, and practice of farmers toward ovine pasteurellosis. A total of 600 sheep sera were collected using multistage cluster sampling. Each sample was examined for the presence of six (6) serotype-specific antibodies using an indirect haemagglutination test. We are reporting a higher seroprevalence of 90.17% (541/600) in which all seropositive animals were shown to have been co-infected with multiple serotypes. Individual serotype prevalence showed that serotype A7 has the highest prevalence of 77.83% followed by A2 (74.33%), T15 (64%), T4 (62%), PA (60%), and A1 (39.17%). In this study, being female [odds ratio (OR): 2.45, 95% CI (1.09-5.52), p = 0.031] and living in high altitude areas [OR: 20.29, 95% CI (2.54-161.95), p = 0.004] were found to be significantly associated with sero-positivity. A questionnaire survey (n = 384) employed in a face-to-face interview was used to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of farmers related to ovine pasteurellosis. Accordingly, the majority (72.4%) of respondents had an inadequate knowledge level of the disease. The proportion of farmers with a favorable attitude and good practices toward the disease was 50.26 and 77.6%, respectively. This study is highly indicative that ovine pasteurellosis is a ubiquitous disease in the study area challenging the sheep production sector. The existence of diverse serotypes reported to lack cross-protective immunity is likely to explain why the current vaccination practice with the monoserotype Pasteurella multocida biotype A vaccine is not providing adequate protection Getnet et al. Serotyping and Seroprevalence of Ovine Pasteurellosis against outbreaks of the disease. Prioritization of one or more serotypes for inclusion in a multivalent vaccine should be dictated by the abundance and distribution of a particular serotype, its clinical importance, and its resultant economic impact. Furthermore, training farmers on key aspects of the disease is vital in the implementation of effective disease management strategies through a participatory approach. Data from the remaining regions of the country could help realize the development of an effective vaccine that works best at the national level.
Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports
Background: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (O157:H7) is the primary cause of bloody diarrhea ... more Background: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (O157:H7) is the primary cause of bloody diarrhea or hemorrhagic colitis. The study was carried out with to determine the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance pattern of E. coli O157:H7 along the dairy supply chains in Akaki Kaliti sub-city of Addis Ababa, Bishoftu and Sululta towns of central Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study design with random sampling methods was employed. Thus, a total of 450 raw cow milk (294), milker hand swab (65) and water (91) samples were collected from dairy farms, milk collection centers and Cafeterias and processed according to the standards to isolate and identify E. coli O157:H7. The samples were initially enriched in buffered peptone water, then plated onto Sorbitol MacConkey agar. Consequently, the suspected non-sorbitol fermenting colonies were confirmed as E. coli biochemically and serological test using latex agglutination tests. Results: Out of the total 450 samples examined, 6.0% were found to be contaminated by E. coli O157:H7. Accordingly, 9.89% of water, 9.23% of milker hand swab and 4.08% of raw milk samples were contaminated by the pathogen. Furthermore, the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 was 7.79%, 6.21% and 3.97% in Akaki kaliti sub-city, Sululta and Bishoftu towns, respectively. The result of Fisher exact analysis revealed a significant difference observed (p < 0.05) between the occurrence of the pathogen and the source of sample, sources of water used, sampled material and type of containers. The study also revealed that varying level of resistance of E. coli O157:H7 isolates against nine antimicrobial discs tested and 100% (n = 27) of the isolates showed multidrug-resistance comprising from two up to seven antimicrobial drugs. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study has indicated the occurrence of E. coli O157:H7 and its multiple drug-resistant profiles in milk samples along the dairy supply chains and its risk to public health and food safety. Therefore, proper hygienic practices from dairy farms to fork and rational drug usage are recommended.
One Health Outlook
Background Antimicrobials are essential for human and animal health. Drug resistance to an antimi... more Background Antimicrobials are essential for human and animal health. Drug resistance to an antimicrobial agent follows the introduction of a new antimicrobial agent. Evidence suggests that the public plays an important role in the risk, increase, and spread of antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the Gondar City residents regarding antimicrobial use and resistance. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to July 2021 on 400 randomly selected Gondar city residents using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The descriptive and chi-square tests were used to analyse the data. Results The response rate was one hundred percent. Approximately 75% of respondents were men, with 32% having completed secondary school. Nearly 74% and 35% of participants were married and worked in various government jobs. Furthermore, 48%, 54%, and 50% of respondents, respectively, had moderate knowledge, a positive attitude, and g...
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2020
Background Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular and neurotropic apicomplexan protozoan ... more Background Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular and neurotropic apicomplexan protozoan parasite infecting almost all warm-blooded vertebrates including humans. To date in Ethiopia, no systematic study has been investigated on the overall effects of potential risk factors associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii among pregnant women and HIV infected individuals. We intended to determine the potential risk factors (PRFs) associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii from published data among pregnant women and HIV infected individuals of Ethiopia. Methodology An systematic review of the previous reports was made. We searched PubMed, Science Direct, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar for studies with no restriction on the year of publication. All references were screened independently in duplicate and were included if they presented data on at least two risk factors. Meta-analysis using the random or fixed-effects model was made to calculate the ov...
Veterinary Medicine : Research and Reports, 2020
Introduction The present trial aimed to investigate invitro anthelminthic activities of selected ... more Introduction The present trial aimed to investigate invitro anthelminthic activities of selected tropical tanniferous plant extract on egg hatchability and larval development inhibition of Haemonchus contortus in sheep. In view of that, three tropical tanniferous plants Rhus glutinosa, Syzygium guineensa and Albizia gumifera, were selected based on their relative high content of condensed tannins. Methods In this study, eggs were collected from artificially infected with H. contortus. Then the egg was directly subjected to invitro assay with these condensed tannin-enriched extracts using egg hatchability assay and inhibition of larval development assay. Results The result showed that extracts from all three tropical tanniferous plants demonstrated statistically significant (P < 0.05) dosedependent inhibition of both egg hatchability and larval development. According to IC50 and IC90 values, the condensed tannin-enriched extracts inhibiting egg hatching and larval development most...
A study conducted to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth of scavenging chicken i... more A study conducted to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth of scavenging chicken in villages around Hawassa, Southern Ethiopia, from October 2010 to April 2011. A total of 360 faecal samples and 122 postmortem examination were conducted. The overall postmortem and coproscopic prevalence of scavenging chicken gastrointestinal helminthes (GIT) were 88.5% and 77.8%, respectively. In the examined scavenging chicken about 67.5% and 29.2% of the chickens were positive for nematodes and cestodes species, respectively The postmortem examination revealed 51.6% infection with Heterakis gallinarum followed by Ascarida galli (45.9%), Raillietina tetragona (20.5%), Raillietina echinobothrida (17.2%), Capillaria species (13.1%), Raillietina cesticillus (8.2%) and Hymenolepis cantanian (3.3%). There was a significant difference in the overall prevalence of GI helminth parasites observed between male and female and between age groups of chickens (P <0.05 and P < 0.01, respectiv...
Parasite Epidemiology and Control, 2021
Cryptosporidium is an intracellular coccidian parasite causing gastrointestinal disturbances resu... more Cryptosporidium is an intracellular coccidian parasite causing gastrointestinal disturbances resulting in diarrhoea in humans and animals. It is more frequently detected in calves and early childhood, and one of the major causes of mortality in low-income countries. National estimates of Cryptosporidium infection rate in cattle and humans are lacking in Ethiopia. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the prevalence and assess the risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in cattle and humans over 20 years. Article searches were made using PubMed, HINARI, Research Gates, AJOLs and Google Scholar databases. Studies that met the inclusion criteria under the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist were used. Random effects models and Inverse Variance Index were used to calculate the pooled prevalence of cryptosporidiosis and heterogeneity among studies, respectively. A total of 23 eligible studies published between 2000 and 2020 were selected for this study. The estimated pooled prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was found to be 16.2% and 11% in cattle and humans, respectively. Ten Cryptosporidium species were documented with cattle and human-based studies. C. andersoni, C. parvum, C. bovis and C. ryanae were the reported species in cattle. Similarly, in humans, seven types of Cryptosporidium species (such as C. parvum, C. hominis, C. viatorum, C. felis, C. meleagridis, C. canis and C. xiaoi) were recorded. C. parvum and C. hominis were the dominant and responsible species for human illness. Using gp60 gene locus analysis, various zoonotic C. parvum subgenotypes were determined in humans; but it was limited in anthroponotic C. hominis. In conclusion, the overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in cattle and humans was high and linked with several risk factors. Thus, there is a need for further epidemiological and genetic diversity studies, and awareness of creations on the disease to provide strategies that mitigate the disease in cattle and humans.
Background Antimicrobials are essential for human and animal health. Drug resistance to an antimi... more Background Antimicrobials are essential for human and animal health. Drug resistance to an antimicrobial agent follows the introduction of a new antimicrobial agent. Evidence suggests that the public plays an important role in the risk, increase, and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the Gondar city residences regarding antimicrobial use and resistance. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to July 2021 on 400 randomly selected Gondar city residents using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The descriptive and Chi-square tests were used to analyse the data. Results The response rate was one hundred percent. Approximately 75% of respondents were men, with 32% having completed secondary school. Nearly 74% and 35% of participants were married and worked in various government jobs, respectively. Furthermore, 48%, 54%, and 50% of respondents, respectively, had moderate knowledge...
One Health Outlook, 2021
Background Ethiopia accommodates the second largest number of human rabies deaths in Africa. This... more Background Ethiopia accommodates the second largest number of human rabies deaths in Africa. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize and pool estimates of dog-mediated rabies status in Ethiopia. Methods Published researches between 2010 and 2020 were comprehensively searched and the required information was extracted. The prevalence was estimated using the random-effects meta-analysis because higher heterogeneity between studies was expected. Results The pooled estimate of rabies was 32% (95% CI: 19–46%), with individual study prevalence estimates ranged from 1 to 78%. Studies were approximately weighted equally with individual weight ranging from 5.19–5.28%. Subgroup analysis indicated that the random pooled prevalence of rabies was 28% (95% CI: 0–81%) in animals and 33% (95% CI: 20–47%) in humans. Furthermore, a subgroup analysis across regions indicated that the pooled prevalence was 78% in Addis Ababa, 46% in Oromia, 40% in Tigray and 5% in Amhara regional st...
HIV/AIDS (Auckland, N.Z.), 2021
Introduction Bovine tuberculosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis, ... more Introduction Bovine tuberculosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis, known to exist in all parts of the world especially in un-hygienic environments. It has a public health impact and humans acquire the infection from infected animals through consumption of raw or unpasteurized milk and dairy products. Methods An Institutional-based quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2020 to assess the knowledge and practice level along with their derivatives of bovine tuberculosis among adult HIV-positive people in Bahir Dar city public hospitals. The data were collected using structured interviewer questionnaire and systematic random sampling was employed to select study subjects. Thus, a total of 435 people living with HIV were considered for this study. Results Out of the total 435 participants 51.5% were male and the mean age was 37.6 years. The overall level of good knowledge and practice of HIV-positive persons for bovine TB wer...
Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports
1Unit of Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Gon... more 1Unit of Biomedical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 2Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 3Department of Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 4Department of Paraclinical Studies, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia Abstract: Brucellosis is an infectious and widespread zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella and can induce considerable human suffering and huge economic losses in animals. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis in Ethiopia. PubMed, Science Direct, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar were used to search the articles. All references were screened and articles, which reported seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis in Ethiopia were included in the study. Meta-analysis using random-effects models was made to calculate the pooled seroprevalence of brucellosis. This review included 15 papers. The estimated pooled seroprevalence of brucellosis was found to be 3.0% (95% CI: 2.0, 4.0). The subgroup analysis showed that there was a statistically significant association between the disease and geographical location, setting, laboratory technique employed and study years. Also, there was some evidence of publication bias (Egger’s test, p = 0.0003) on studies reporting the prevalence of brucellosis in Ethiopia. This review proves a high seroprevalence of brucellosis in the country and appropriate control strategies are recommended. Moreover, further study on the risk factors is also required to develop cost-effective preventive strategies.
Cryptosporidium is an intracellular coccidian parasite causing gastrointestinal disturbances resu... more Cryptosporidium is an intracellular coccidian parasite causing gastrointestinal disturbances resulting in diarrhoea in humans and animals. It is more frequently detected in calves and early childhood, and one of the major causes of mortality in low-income countries. National estimates of Cryptosporidium infection rate in cattle and humans are lacking in Ethiopia. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the prevalence and assess the risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in cattle and humans over 20 years. Article searches were made using PubMed, HINARI, Research Gates, AJOLs and Google Scholar databases. Studies that met the inclusion criteria under the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist were used. Random effects models and Inverse Variance Index were used to calculate the pooled prevalence of cryptosporidiosis and heterogeneity among studies, respectively. A total of 23 eligible studies published between 20...
PLOS ONE, 2021
Diseases from food of animal origin are common health problems in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional stu... more Diseases from food of animal origin are common health problems in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was carried out to estimate health and economic burden, and to identify demographic factors associated with community awareness of foodborne zoonotic diseases in Amhara region, Ethiopia. Data was collected from 435 households in three towns: Gondar, Lalibela and Debark. A retrospective data was also collected from health records in each town. The health burden due to zoonotic diseases was estimated at 0.2, 0.1 and 1.3 DALYs per household per year and at 73.2, 146.6 and 1,689.5 DALYs out of 100,000 populations per year in Gondar, Lalibela and Debark, respectively. The overall health burden due to foodborne zoonotic diseases (aggregated over the 435 households in the three towns) was estimated to be 89.9 DALYs per 100,000 populations per year. The economic impact of foodborne zoonotic diseases in the three towns of Amhara regional state was 278.98 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) (1ETB = 0.025 US D...
Global Veterinaria, 2014
A study conducted to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth of scavenging chicken i... more A study conducted to estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth of scavenging chicken in villages around Hawassa, Southern Ethiopia, from October 2010 to April 2011. A total of 360 faecal samples and 122 postmortem examination were conducted. The overall postmortem and coproscopic prevalence of scavenging chicken gastrointestinal helminthes (GIT) were 88.5% and 77.8%, respectively. In the examined scavenging chicken about 67.5% and 29.2% of the chickens were positive for nematodes and cestodes species, respectively The postmortem examination revealed 51.6% infection with Heterakis gallinarum followed by Ascarida galli (45.9%), Raillietina tetragona (20.5%), Raillietina echinobothrida (17.2%), Capillaria species (13.1%), Raillietina cesticillus (8.2%) and Hymenolepis cantanian (3.3%). There was a significant difference in the overall prevalence of GI helminth parasites observed between male and female and between age groups of chickens (P <0.05 and P < 0.01, respectiv...
Background: Ethiopia accommodates the second largest number of human rabies deaths in Africa. Thi... more Background: Ethiopia accommodates the second largest number of human rabies deaths in Africa. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize and pool estimates of dog-mediated rabies status in Ethiopia. Methods: Published researches between 2010 and 2020 were comprehensively searched and the required information was extracted. The prevalence was estimated using the random-effects meta-analysis because higher heterogeneity between studies was expected. Results: The pooled estimate of rabies was 32% (95% CI: 19-46%), with individual study prevalence estimates ranged from 1 to 78%. Studies were approximately weighted equally with individual weight ranging from 5.19-5.28%. Subgroup analysis indicated that the random pooled prevalence of rabies was 28% (95% CI: 0-81%) in animals and 33% (95% CI: 20-47%) in humans. Furthermore, a subgroup analysis across regions indicated that the pooled prevalence was 78% in Addis Ababa, 46% in Oromia, 40% in Tigray and 5% in Amhara regional states. No single study was reported from the country's eastern and southern parts to be included in this meta-analysis. Conclusion: The estimated pooled rabies prevalence was found high and showed varying among study regions. Therefore, focusing on mass dog vaccination campaigns and public awareness should be implemented to control the disease.
Cryptosporidium is an intracellular coccidian parasite causing gastrointestinal disturbances resu... more Cryptosporidium is an intracellular coccidian parasite causing gastrointestinal disturbances resulting in diarrhoea in humans and animals. It is more frequently detected in calves and early childhood, and one of the major causes of mortality in low-income countries. National estimates of Cryptosporidium infection rate in cattle and humans are lacking in Ethiopia. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the prevalence and assess the risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in cattle and humans over 20 years. Article searches were made using PubMed, HINARI, Research Gates, AJOLs and Google Scholar databases. Studies that met the inclusion criteria under the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist were used. Random effects models and Inverse Variance Index were used to calculate the pooled prevalence of cryptosporidiosis and heterogeneity among studies, respectively. A total of 23 eligible studies published between 2000 and 2020 were selected for this study. The estimated pooled prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was found to be 16.2% and 11% in cattle and humans, respectively. Ten Cryptosporidium species were documented with cattle and human-based studies.
Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports, 2021
Brucellosis is an infectious and widespread zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genus Bruc... more Brucellosis is an infectious and widespread zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella and can induce considerable human suffering and huge economic losses in animals. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis in Ethiopia. PubMed, Science Direct, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar were used to search the articles. All references were screened and articles, which reported seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis in Ethiopia were included in the study. Meta-analysis using random-effects models was made to calculate the pooled seroprevalence of brucellosis. This review included 15 papers. The estimated pooled seroprevalence of brucellosis was found to be 3.0% (95% CI: 2.0, 4.0). The subgroup analysis showed that there was a statistically significant association between the disease and geographical location, setting, laboratory technique employed and study years. Also, there was some evidence of publication bias (Egger's test, p = 0.0003) on studies reporting the prevalence of brucellosis in Ethiopia. This review proves a high seroprevalence of brucellosis in the country and appropriate control strategies are recommended. Moreover, further study on the risk factors is also required to develop cost-effective preventive strategies.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES, 2020
Background
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular and neurotropic apicomplexan protozoan ... more Background
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular and neurotropic apicomplexan protozoan parasite infecting almost all warm-blooded vertebrates including humans. To date in Ethiopia, no systematic study has been investigated on the overall effects of potential risk factors
associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii among pregnant women and HIV-infected individuals. We intended to determine the potential risk factors (PRFs) associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii from published data among pregnant women and
HIV infected individuals of Ethiopia.
Methodology
An systematic review of the previous reports was made. We searched PubMed, Science Direct, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar for studies with no restriction on the year of publication. All references were screened independently in duplicate and were included if they presented data on at least two risk factors. Meta-analysis using the random
or fixed-effects model was made to calculate the overall effects for each exposure.
Results
Of the 216 records identified, twenty-four reports met our eligibility criteria, with a total of 6003 individuals (4356 pregnant women and 1647 HIV infected individuals). The pooled prevalences of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were found at 72.5% (95% CI: 58.7% - 83.1%) in pregnant women and 85.7% (95% CI: 76.3% - 91.8%) in HIV infected individuals. A significant overall effect of anti-Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity among pregnant women (p < 0.05) was witnessed with age, abortion history, contact with cats, cat ownership, having
knowledge about toxoplasmosis, being a housewife and having unsafe water source. Age, cat ownership, and raw meat consumption were also shown a significant effect (p < 0.05) to anti-Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity among HIV infected individuals.
Conclusions
This review showed gaps and drawbacks in the earlier studies that are useful to keep in mind to design accurate investigations in the future. The pooled prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies was found to be higher among pregnant women and HIV infected individuals. This suggests that thousands of immunocompromised individuals (pregnant
women and HIV infected patients) are at risk of toxoplasmosis due to the sociocultural and living standards of the communities of Ethiopia. Appropriate preventive measures are needed to reduce the exposure to Toxoplasma gondii infection. Further studies to investigate important risk factors are recommended to support the development of more costeffective preventive strategies.
Uploads
Papers by Haileyesus Dejene
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular and neurotropic apicomplexan protozoan parasite infecting almost all warm-blooded vertebrates including humans. To date in Ethiopia, no systematic study has been investigated on the overall effects of potential risk factors
associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii among pregnant women and HIV-infected individuals. We intended to determine the potential risk factors (PRFs) associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii from published data among pregnant women and
HIV infected individuals of Ethiopia.
Methodology
An systematic review of the previous reports was made. We searched PubMed, Science Direct, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar for studies with no restriction on the year of publication. All references were screened independently in duplicate and were included if they presented data on at least two risk factors. Meta-analysis using the random
or fixed-effects model was made to calculate the overall effects for each exposure.
Results
Of the 216 records identified, twenty-four reports met our eligibility criteria, with a total of 6003 individuals (4356 pregnant women and 1647 HIV infected individuals). The pooled prevalences of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were found at 72.5% (95% CI: 58.7% - 83.1%) in pregnant women and 85.7% (95% CI: 76.3% - 91.8%) in HIV infected individuals. A significant overall effect of anti-Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity among pregnant women (p < 0.05) was witnessed with age, abortion history, contact with cats, cat ownership, having
knowledge about toxoplasmosis, being a housewife and having unsafe water source. Age, cat ownership, and raw meat consumption were also shown a significant effect (p < 0.05) to anti-Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity among HIV infected individuals.
Conclusions
This review showed gaps and drawbacks in the earlier studies that are useful to keep in mind to design accurate investigations in the future. The pooled prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies was found to be higher among pregnant women and HIV infected individuals. This suggests that thousands of immunocompromised individuals (pregnant
women and HIV infected patients) are at risk of toxoplasmosis due to the sociocultural and living standards of the communities of Ethiopia. Appropriate preventive measures are needed to reduce the exposure to Toxoplasma gondii infection. Further studies to investigate important risk factors are recommended to support the development of more costeffective preventive strategies.
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular and neurotropic apicomplexan protozoan parasite infecting almost all warm-blooded vertebrates including humans. To date in Ethiopia, no systematic study has been investigated on the overall effects of potential risk factors
associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii among pregnant women and HIV-infected individuals. We intended to determine the potential risk factors (PRFs) associated with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii from published data among pregnant women and
HIV infected individuals of Ethiopia.
Methodology
An systematic review of the previous reports was made. We searched PubMed, Science Direct, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar for studies with no restriction on the year of publication. All references were screened independently in duplicate and were included if they presented data on at least two risk factors. Meta-analysis using the random
or fixed-effects model was made to calculate the overall effects for each exposure.
Results
Of the 216 records identified, twenty-four reports met our eligibility criteria, with a total of 6003 individuals (4356 pregnant women and 1647 HIV infected individuals). The pooled prevalences of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were found at 72.5% (95% CI: 58.7% - 83.1%) in pregnant women and 85.7% (95% CI: 76.3% - 91.8%) in HIV infected individuals. A significant overall effect of anti-Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity among pregnant women (p < 0.05) was witnessed with age, abortion history, contact with cats, cat ownership, having
knowledge about toxoplasmosis, being a housewife and having unsafe water source. Age, cat ownership, and raw meat consumption were also shown a significant effect (p < 0.05) to anti-Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity among HIV infected individuals.
Conclusions
This review showed gaps and drawbacks in the earlier studies that are useful to keep in mind to design accurate investigations in the future. The pooled prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies was found to be higher among pregnant women and HIV infected individuals. This suggests that thousands of immunocompromised individuals (pregnant
women and HIV infected patients) are at risk of toxoplasmosis due to the sociocultural and living standards of the communities of Ethiopia. Appropriate preventive measures are needed to reduce the exposure to Toxoplasma gondii infection. Further studies to investigate important risk factors are recommended to support the development of more costeffective preventive strategies.