ObjectiveIntestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are among the major public health and socioeconomic problems in developing countries like Ethiopia. Food-handlers that directly deal with production and distribution of foods between societies are one of the most important sources to transmit parasitic infections to humans. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasites among asymptomatic food-handlers working in students’ cafeteria of Wollo University, Northeastern Ethiopia.ResultA cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 asymptomatic food handlers at Wollo University from January 1 to February 20, 2018. Among the total participants 30 (15%) were infected with at least one intestinal parasites. The dominant parasite was E. histolytica (5.5%) followed by A. lumbricoides (4%) and then G. lamblia (3%). Finger nail trimming (p = 0.002, AOR: 4.35, 95% CI 1.71–11.04), medical checkup (p = 0.012, AOR: 4.01, 95% CI 1.37–12.25) and residence (p = 0.014, AOR: 3.16, 95% CI 1.26–7.95) were independent predictors of intestinal parasitic infection among the food handlers.

Background Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is currently a global health threat and public health emergency of international concern. Africa is the last continent to be hit by this pandemic and the population is still prone to misconceptions and may not take it seriously. In developing countries including Ethiopia, where trained human resources and equipment for the treatment of COVID-19 are scarce, working on prevention of the viral spread should be a priority as a feasible intervention strategy. The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP) towards COVID-19 and its prevalence among hospital visitors. Methods Health institution based cross sectional study was conducted among 513 hospital visitors who are recruited by using simple random sampling technique at Ataye district hospital, Northeast Ethiopia from June 3, 2020 to August 10, 2020. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to obtain information related to socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge (11 questions), attitude (9 questions) and practice (9 questions). Oro-pharyngeal specimen was collected by trained healthcare provider and processed in a molecular laboratory. After extraction of viral nucleic acid, the Real-time fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kit was used for detecting novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Data was analyzed using bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression model with 95% CI (confidence interval). From the bi-variable analysis, variables having a P-value <0.25 were retained into multivariable analysis. From the multivariable analysis, variables with a P-value <0.05 was declared as associated factors. Results Majority (72.9%) of the study participants were male; and most were urban dwellers. From the total study participants, 17 (3.3%) were found to be infected with the virus. The magnitude of low-level of knowledge was 4.9%; and of the analyzed risk factors, female gender, age (category less than 16 years and category between 16 and 65 years), and usual alcohol drinking habit had statistically significant association with low level knowledge. The proportion of study participants who had low level of practice was 75/513 (14.62%). Family size, age category between 16 and 65 years, and low-level knowledge were associated with low-level practice. Conclusion Limited number of study participants had high-level knowledge and practice towards COVID-19; while majority of the study candidates demonstrated moderate level of knowledge and practice. Good knowledge, positive attitude and good practice can be a guarantee for the prevention and control of COVID-19. Hence, various measurements to combat the pandemic should be taken by different stakeholders including the community members, religious leader, health professionals and others.

Background: Tuberculosis is a communicable disease that is a major cause of ill health, one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide, and the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, even ranking above human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV/AIDS). Objective: To assess the prevalence and associated risk factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) suspects attending at Ataye District Hospital from October 1, 2018, to February 30, 2019. Methodology: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 presumptive tuberculosis patients at Ataye District Hospital. Sputum was processed by MTB/RIF Xpert assay. Data were entered into EpiData 3.1 software and exported to SPSS version 20.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) for analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Variables that show significance at P-value of 0.3 during univariate analysis were selected for multivariable analysis. A P-value of less than or equal to 0.05 was used to indicate statistical significance. Results: Out of the total study participants, about 60% were male, and 39% were aged between 18 and 24 years. Of the total 423 PTB suspected patients, 38 (8.98%) of them were identified as having PTB by GeneXpert and 2/38 (5.3%) were resistant to rifampicin and 3/38 (7.89%) patients were co-infected with HIV. Participant age between 18 and 24 years and between 25 and 34 years, weight loss, chest pain, having contact history with confirmed PTB cases, utilization of congested transportation, and a history of imprisonment were significantly associated with the prevalence of PTB. Conclusion: A considerable prevalence of PTB in the area was observed and the magnitude of MDR-TB was low. PTB is still a public health problem in Ethiopia and there is a need for collaborative prevention and control activities in the study area.

Objective The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of renal insufficiency using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) among adult outpatients with normal SCr. Results A total of 414 patients with normal SCr were included in the study. Mean GFR (ml/min/1.73 m 2 ) was 116.8 ± 43.5 using the MDRD equation and 90.5 ± 33.1 by the C–G formula. According to the MDRD formula, mild renal insufficiency (i.e. eGFR 60–89.9 ml/min/1.73 m 2 ) was found in 21.5% of the patients and moderate renal insufficiency (i.e. eGFR 30–59.9 ml/min/1.73 m 2 ) was found in 7.7%. According to the Cockcroft–Gault (C–G) formula, mild renal insufficiency was found in 38.2% and moderate renal insufficiency in 16.9% of the patients with normal SCr. In multivariate analysis, older age, female sex, a family history of kidney disease or other chronic diseases and high systolic blood pressure were associated with prevalent renal insufficiency depending on the formula used to estimate GFR. This study demonstrates the substantial prevalence of impaired renal function among Ethiopian adult outpatients with normal SCr. Including calculated estimates of GFR in routine laboratory reporting may help to facilitate the identification and thus optimal management of patients with renal insufficiency.

Objective Intestinal parasitic infections are among the major cause of diseases of public health problems in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, epidemiological information on street dwellers is very limited. So, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of intestinal parasite among street dwellers’ in Dessie town, North-East, Ethiopia. Results A cross-sectional study was carried out on street dwellers in Dessie town from November 2017 to February, 2018. Stool specimen was examined by direct wet mount, formol-ether concentration technique and modified Ziehl–Neelsen methods. Majority of study participants were males 220 (89.4%). The mean age of the study participants were 22.85 (SD = 4.78) years. The overall parasite prevalence was 108/246 (43.9%). Among the six different intestinal parasites detected, H. nana 33 (13.4) and E. histolytica 24 (9.8%) were dominant. Multivariate analysis showed, shoe wearing habit (P = 0.035), hand washing habit after toilet (P = 0.035), and history of animal contact (P = 0.016) had statistically significant association with intestinal parasitic infections after adjusting other variables. Although the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in this study was lower than previous studies conducted in similar study groups. The prevention and control strategies of intestinal parasites should address the poor segment of populations including street dwellers.