BackgroundVarious studies have reported that the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis poses a significant threat to tuberculosis-control programs worldwide. Rifampicin resistance is a surrogate marker of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, since it reveals the presence of greater than 90% isoniazid resistance. Evidence on rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis is scarce in the literature.ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis among tuberculosis-presumptive cases at the University of Gondar Hospital.Materials and methodsA retrospective study was conducted at the University of Gondar Hospital from January 2013 to August 2015. Data were collected from registration books using a data-extraction format after securing ethical approval and checking the completeness of necessary information. Data were double-entered and rechecked to ensure accuracy and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results were summarized using descriptive statistics. Associations were assessed using Fisher’s exact test, and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 1,820 M. tuberculosis-presumptive patients were included in the study. The majority of the study participants were males (59.2%). The mean age of the participants was 36.6±15.8 years. The preponderant age-group was 24–30 years, with 477 (23.5%) patients. The overall prevalence of M. tuberculosis-confirmed cases was 448 (24.6%, 95% CI 0.23–0.27). Of the 448 M. tuberculosis-confirmed cases, 71 (15.8%, 95% CI 1.12–1.19) were resistant to rifampicin. Rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis was observed among HIV seropositives (14 [18.7%]), males (45[17.3%]), and previously treated tuberculosis patients (61 [16.5%]), although no significant association was found in this study.ConclusionThe overall prevalence of M. tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance was found to be high in tuberculosis patients in this study. Therefore, early detection of drug-resistant M. tuberculosis should be strengthened for management of tuberculosis patients.

Background There are numerous advantages offered by street vended foods, but evidence exists that foods exposed for sale on the road side may be contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms. However, information on the bacteriological profile, bacterial load and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates from street food in Gondar town are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess bacterial profile, bacterial load, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates among street vended foods and also the hygienic practice of vendors in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods Socio-demographic characteristics and the hygienic practices of 24 vendors were collected using structured questionnaire. A total of 72 food samples from four different food items were analyzed and counted by standard aerobic plate count method. Ten grams of each food sample was transferred in to 90 ml of buffered peptone water and homogenized. The homogenates were serially dilute and a volume of 0.1 ml dilution was spread on solid media and incubated at 35-37 °C for 24 h. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done for isolated species using Muller Hinton agar and data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 20.0. Results Seventy two food samples of street vended food were analysed for bacterial pathogens. 44/72 tested positive, a total of 63 isolates were identified as 19 samples contained two pathogens. The total mean aerobic bacterial count was 6.64 × 10 4 CFU/g which is varied from 1 × 10 4 –1.86 × 10 5 CFU/g. S. aureus is the most frequent isolate 34 ( 53.96%) followed by E.coli 15(23.8%), Enterobacter species 10(15.87%) and Citrobacter species 4(6.3%). Gentamycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were found to be the most effective antimicrobials against all isolates but the enterobactereaceae were resistant to ampicillin and Ceftaziidime and S.aureus were resistant to penicillin. Conclusion The results of this study showed that, the majority of street-vended food items in Gondar were contaminated with one or more different pathogenic bacteria. The presence of these bacteria in foods could lead to potential health problems for consumers. Therefore, health education as well as training in food safety and hygienic handling is required for food handlers to minimize contamination and the likelihood of people falling ill.

Background Cervical cancer is a major public health problem. In the world, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women and it is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in females. It is the second most common women cancer in Ethiopia with almost 6300 new cases and 4884 deaths annually. Despite the high burden of new cases and deaths, there is a scarcity of data on knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards cervical cancer screening among female university students in Ethiopia particularly in the study area. Therefore, the present study was aimed to assess the KAP of undergraduate female students towards cervical cancer screening. Methods An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2018 at the University of Gondar, College of Medicine and Health Sciences undergraduate female students. Pretested, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Four hundred and three female students were recruited by a simple random sampling method and the data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20 statistical packages. Descriptive data analysis was used to report the results. Results More than half of the respondents (59.3.3%) had good knowledge, whereas nearly 67.7% of the respondents had favorable attitude towards cervical cancer. However, less than 1% of the respondents had been screened for cervical cancer. Conclusion Although undergraduate female students had apparently good knowledge and favorable attitude, their practices on cervical cancer screening were quite low. Therefore, the health sectors and the gender streaming office of the university mobilize students to strengthen the uptake the cervical cancer screening practice.

Introduction. Hepatitis B virus infection is one of the commonest occupational risks in healthcare workers. However; there is limited evidence regarding the prevalence of hepatitis in health professionals in Ethiopia. Objective. This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of hepatitis B and associated factors in health professionals. Methods. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among health professionals at University of Gondar Hospital from January to February, 2015. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic variables and blood sample was also taken to determine hepatitis B virus sero-status. Chi square test with 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed to assess the associations of different factors with hepatitis B infection. Result. A total of 332 health professionals (with a response rate of 92.2%) participated in the study. Most (98.5%) of health professionals were not vaccinated for hepatitis B. The prevalence of hepatitis B in health professionals at UOG hospital was found to be 4.52% (95% CI: 2.4, 6.5). Hepatitis B infection was more common among males (P value =0.0299).  Conclusion. The prevalence of hepatitis B in health professionals in this study was comparable with other studies done in Ethiopia among health professionals. Males were more affected than females for hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis B virus vaccine, treatment for the infected, and training on infection prevention should be more available for healthcare workers.

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Background Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of infectious diarrhea that develops in patients after hospitalization during antibiotic administration. It has also become a big issue in community-acquired diarrhea. The emergence of hypervirulent strains of C. difficile poses a major problem in hospital-associated diarrhea outbreaks and it is difficult to treat. The antimicrobial resistance in C. difficile has worsened due to the inappropriate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics including cephalosporins, clindamycin, tetracycline, and fluoroquinolones together with the emergence of hypervirulent strains. Objective To estimate the pooled prevalence and antimicrobial resistance pattern of C. difficile derived from hospitalized diarrheal patients, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. Methods Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed to review published studies conducted. We searched bibliographic databases from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library for studies on the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility testing on C. difficile. The weighted pooled prevalence and resistance for each antimicrobial agent was calculated using a random-effects model. A funnel plot and Egger’s regression test were used to see publication bias. Results A total of 15 studies were included. Ten articles for prevalence study and 5 additional studies for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of C. difficile were included. A total of 1967/7852 (25%) C. difficile were isolated from 10 included studies for prevalence study. The overall weighted pooled proportion (WPP) of C. difficile was 30% (95% CI: 10.0–49.0; p<0.001). The analysis showed substantial heterogeneity among studies (Cochran’s test = 7038.73, I2 = 99.87%; p<0.001). The weighed pooled antimicrobial resistance (WPR) were: vancomycin 3%(95% CI: 1.0–4.0, p<0.001); metronidazole 5%(95% CI: 3.0–7.0, p<0.001); clindamycin 61%(95% CI: 52.0–69.0, p<0.001); moxifloxacin 42%(95% CI: 29–54, p<0.001); tetracycline 35%(95% CI: 22–49, p<0.001); erythromycin 61%(95% CI: 48–75, p<0.001) and ciprofloxacin 64%(95% CI: 48–80; p< 0.001) using the random effect model. Conclusions A higher weighted pooled prevalence of C. difficile was observed. It needs a great deal of attention to decrease the prevailing prevalence. The resistance of C. difficile to metronidazole and vancomycin was low compared to other drugs used to treat C. difficile infection. Periodic antimicrobial resistance monitoring is vital for appropriate therapy of C. difficile infection.

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Background Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a public health problem worldwide. Hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), and syphilis are among the STIs. Female sex workers (FSWs) continue to be a high-risk group for STIs due to a variety of factors, including exposure to unsafe sexual practices. Therefore, this study determines the seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, Treponema palladium , and associated factors among FSWs in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 194 FSWs from March to June 2021 in Gondar town. Socio-demographic and behavioral data were collected using a questionnaire. Five milliliters (5mL) of venous blood was collected and tested for hepatitis B surface antigens, anti-hepatitis C antibodies, and anti-syphilis antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression, univariate, and multivariate analyses were carried out. A p-value of < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 194 FSWs were included in the study. The seroprevalence rates of HBV infection, HCV infection, and syphilis were 23 (11.9%), 13 (6.7%), and 22 (11.3%), respectively. All three infections were statistically associated with inconsistent condom use (AOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.95–5.07, p = 0.03); (AOR = 10.51, 95% CI: 1.62–68.26, p = 0.014); and (AOR = 17.3, 95% CI: 4.55–65.6, p = 0.001). Whereas sex stimulant drug use (AOR = 9.4, 95% CI: 1.002–88.14), intravenous drug use (AOR = 15.53, 95% CI: 1.9–127.99, p=0.011), and sex while having a vaginal ulcer (AOR = 5.72, 95% CI: 1.13–28.9, p=0.035) were all statistically associated with HCV infection. Conclusion The prevalence of HBV infection, HCV infection, and syphilis was comparatively higher. Regular screening, health education, and other preventative strategies are advised to lower the STI burden among FSWs.