Background Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have been major public health problems in low income countries primarily affecting school children. Previous studies in Ethiopia have shown high burden of intestinal parasitic infections in most children. In order to gain a deeper insight into the magnitude of the problem more information is needed from different localities where similar studies have not been conducted. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among school children in Jawi Primary School, Jawi town, north -west Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2017 to assess the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among Jawi Primary School children, Ethiopia. A total of 422 children were selected using age-stratified systematic random sampling technique. Stool samples were examined microscopically using direct wet-mount and formal-ether concentration techniques. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information regarding the associated risk factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and p value < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Results Of 406 students examined for IPIs, 235 (57.88%) were positive for one or more intestinal parasites. Single, double and triple infections were 41.9, 6.2 and 1.2%, respectively. Overall infection rate was slightly higher in males (51.85%) than in females (45.30%) though the difference was not significant. Higher prevalence rate (about 51–53%) was recorded among 6 to 18 years old children. Prevalence of Giardia lamblia was the highest (19.95%), followed by hookworm (13.8%), Schistosoma mansoni (10.3%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (5.9%), Hymenolepsis nana (4.2%), Taenia species (3%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (0.73%), in that order. Among the risk factors assessed, age, hand washing habit before meals, open field defecation habit, consistency of wearing shoes, habit of eating raw and unwashed vegetables, and finger nail cleanliness and trimming habit were found to be the most important predictors associated with high risk of IPIs ( p < 0.05). Conclusion High prevalence of IPIs among Jawi Primary school children demands improved health education on regular hand washing, latrine use, wearing shoes, cleaning finger nails, not crossing rivers with bare foot and avoiding eating raw vegetables. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12879-019-3971-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have been major public health burdens in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Studies in different areas of Ethiopia have shown a high prevalence of IPIs in poor families. A similar study has not been conducted in Sasiga District given that the area is possibly at high-risk of IPIs due to the prevailing risk factors. This study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among schoolchildren in Sasiga District, southwest Ethiopia. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2018 to March 2019 to estimate the prevalence of IPIs and associated risk factors among the study participants. A total of 383 children were selected using resident-type and grade-level stratified systematic random sampling technique. Stool samples were examined microscopically using direct wet mount and formal-ether concentration techniques. A structured questionnaire was used to get information on the associated risk factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and p value of ≤0.05 was taken as statistically significant. The overall prevalence of IPIs among the children was 62.4% (239/383). Single, double, and triple infections were 49.9%, 10.7%, and 1.83%, respectively. Residence, family income, place of defecation, source of drinking water, shoe-wearing habit, handwashing habit after toilet use, ways of waste disposal, and cleanliness of fingernail were the most important predictors of IPIs (p < 0:05). Ascaris lumbricoides (22.7% (87/383)) and hookworms (20.6% (79/383)) were the most prevalent parasites, followed by Entamoeba histolytica (8.1%), Trichuris trichiura (7.6%), Giardia intestinalis (6.5%), Hymenolepis nana (5.7%), and Schistosoma mansoni (4.4%), in that order. Sasiga District primary schoolchildren are likely at a high burden of IPIs. Intensive health education on personal hygiene and environmental sanitation is needed.

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Waterborne diseases continue to challenge communities in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Clinical information in Wegeda town showed that the prevalence of waterborne diseases was 58%. This study aimed to evaluate bacteriological and physicochemical drinking water quality in Wegeda town. This study will add valuable scientific data for future intervention. Water samples from protected and unprotected springs, hand-dug well, taps, and households’ containers were collected from November 2018 to June 2019 for bacteriological and physicochemical analyses. Besides, information about the potential risk factors was collected using a structured questionnaire. A total of 120 water samples were collected and analyzed for total and fecal coliform counts using the multiple tube fermentation method (MPN). The presence of Escherichia coli was also checked from fecal coliform positive samples collected from households’ containers. Selected physicochemical parameters were also determined using the standard methods. In all cases, the median values of total and fecal coliform counts ranged from 5 to 27 and 2 to 13 MPN/100 ml, respectively. Accordingly, all of the drinking water samples did not comply with the standards. Coliforms were significantly higher in the households’ containers than in the sources ( p < 0.05 ) and also significantly varied by water sources. The highest and lowest coliform counts were recorded in unprotected spring and taps, respectively. Besides, 18.33% of water samples collected from households’ containers were tested positive for E. coli. Regarding physicochemical parameters, most values were within the acceptable limit values recommended by the WHO. However, water samples from unprotected spring and hand-dug well did not satisfy the turbidity limit value set by the WHO. Drinking water systems in Wegeda town were likely contaminated with pathogenic bacteria likely due to poor protection and sanitation practices. Providing the community with potable water, toilets, domestic and animal waste disposal systems, and intensive health education and sanitation practices for the community are highly recommended.

Starch is added to the fabric surface to secure weaving process. During finishing these sized particles are removed from the fabric and prepared it for printing and dyeing. Chemicals de-sizing agents damage fabric surfaces and reduce the quality of the product. An alternative to these conventional desizing agents is the use of biological molecules i.e. enzymes. The current study compares traditional de-sizing to bio-based de-sizing methods, as well as the optimization of fabric desizing settings using crude amylase. Amylase-producing Bacillus cereus AS2 was isolated from indigenous soil samples. The maximal fermentative de-sizing capability was discovered at 72 h, with no fabric surface degradation. Chemical desizing showed that the fabric lost all sizing agents to TEGEWA scale 9 within 1 h in presence of 5N HCl. Optimal studies for desizing showed that 1000 IU/ml of amylase resulted in maximum de-sizing within 15 h at 60 °C and 0.5% Triton-X. Water absorbance and weight loss, both parameters were used to check the desizing efficacy and it was found that de-sizing to same scale was occurred in the case of enzyme as well as commercially desized fabric. Enzyme desized cloth was found to be free of any starch particles in SEM micrographs, identical to industrially de-sized fabric, ensuring bioprocess efficacy.

The cost of substrates has been one of the challenges for mushroom cultivation. The commonly used substrates for mushroom production are usually expensive. Substrates with a high biomass return that can pose environmental problems can be good alternatives for mushroom cultivation due to multiple advantages. In this regard, the potential use of water hyacinth biomass (a troublesome aquatic weed) as an alternative substrate is worthy of being studied. This study was aimed at evaluating the potential use of water hyacinth biomass for the production of oyster mushroom. The experiment was done in a completely randomized design with nine treatments and four replications. Water hyacinth biomass was supplemented with straw (wheat, Triticum aestivum, and teff or Eragrostis Teff) at a ratio of 1 : 1, 1 : 3, or 3 : 1. The developmental parameters including days elapsed for mycelium invasion (MI), pinhead formation (PF), and the first flush (FH) were monitored. Growth parameters (cap diameter (CD) and stalk length (SL)), a yield parameter (total weight of mushroom yield), and biological efficiency (BF %) were also recorded. Finally, the economic return (ER) of all the treatments was calculated. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the significance of variation between the different parameters on the production parameters. Means were separated using the Tukey test, when F-test from ANOVA was significant at p ≤ 0.05 . It was observed that water hyacinth biomass alone or supplemented with wheat or teff straw provided promising performance on oyster mushroom development, growth, yield, and biological efficiency compared to the costly substrates (wheat and teff straw). Thus, water hyacinth can be considered as a low-cost substrate for mushroom cultivation and a means to control this aquatic weed from rapid spreading.

Background. Intestinal parasitic infection is still common in Ethiopia. Periodic evaluation of the current status of human intestinal parasitic infections (HIPIs) is a prerequisite to controlling these health threats. This study is aimed at assessing the prevalence and determinant factors of HIPIs among elementary school-age children in Merawi town. Methods. A school-based cross-sectional study design was used among 403 children. The direct wet mount method was used to diagnose the stool samples. The sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of the respondents were collected using structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and logistic regression. Results. Out of the 403 students, the overall prevalence of HIPIs was 173 (42.9%). The magnitudes of single and double infections were 39.7% and 3.2%, respectively. Seventy-two (17.9%) were positive for Entamoeba histolytica, 63 (15.4%) for Giardia lamblia, 28 (9.6%) for Ascaris lumbricoides, 22 (6.9%) for hookworm, and 1 (0.2%) for Schistosoma mansoni. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was high in the age group of 6–11 years compared to other age groups. The following were the risk factors associated with HIPIs: groups aging 6 to 11 ( AOR = 9.581 ; 95% CI: 0.531-17.498; P = 0.008 ), aging 12 to 18 ( AOR = 3.047 ; 95% CI: 0.055-1.828; P = 0.008 ), not washing of hands after defecation ( AOR = 3.683 ; 95% CI; 1.577-8.598; P = 0.003 ), not regularly washing of hands after defecation ( AOR = 2.417 ; 95% CI; 1.224-4.774; P = 0.003 ), dirty fingernails ( AOR = 2.639 ; 95% CI: 1.388-5.020; P = 0.003 ), not wearing shoes ( AOR = 2.779 ; 95% CI: 1.267-6.096; P = 0.011 ), rural residence ( AOR = 6.6 ; 95% CI; 0.06-0.351; P < 0.0001 ), and a family size greater than or equal to five ( AOR = 2.160 ; 95% CI: 1.179-3.956; P = 0.013 ). Conclusion. The prevalence of HIPIs among elementary school children in Merawi town was very high. Thus, there is a need for intensive health education for behavioral changes related to personal hygiene and mass treatment for effective control of HIPIs in the study area.

Drinking water pollution and the resulting waterborne diseases have been among the major public health burden in low-income countries such as Ethiopia. A high prevalence of waterborne diseases, up to 65%, has been reported in Adis Kidame Town (Ethiopia). Moreover, there have been poor waste disposal practices in this town. Thus, this study aimed to assess bacteriological and physicochemical drinking water quality in Adis Kidame Town to get insight into any potential health risks due to waterborne diseases. A total of 90 water samples were analyzed for enumeration of coliform bacteria and basic physicochemical parameters. In this study, total and faecal coliform counts (CFU/100 ml) ranged from 0 to 23 and 0 to 18, respectively. In all cases, 89 and 77% of the water samples in terms of total and faecal coliforms, respectively, did not comply with WHO guidelines. The highest level of coliforms was found in drinking water samples from households’ containers and taps, where 100% and 90% of samples were tested positive for total and faecal coliforms, respectively. Among the physicochemical parameters recorded, only temperature and residual chlorine did not comply with WHO guidelines. Temperature values in all samples ranged from 20 to 28°C, while the values of residual chlorine were below the recommended range in the 56.7% of water samples from the reservoir and almost in all (96.7%) water samples from the taps and households’ containers. High coliform count in the water system demands proper chlorination, regular inspection of the distribution line, and good hygienic practices to improve the microbiological quality of drinking water in Adis Kidame Town.