Intestinal parasites are responsible for one of the major health problems like food contamination with socioeconomic effects in the world with a prevalence rate of 30-60%, in developing countries that lie within tropical and subtropical areas. They pose a reasonable public health burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Globally, due to intestinal parasitic infections, around 3.5 billion people are affected and more than 200,000 deaths are reported annually. Around 50000 deaths yearly are caused by intestinal parasites in Ethiopia. As such, intestinal parasites perceived global and local burdens to various countries. The risk of food contamination depends largely on the health status of the food handlers, their hygiene, knowledge, and practice of food hygiene. Food handlers with poor personal hygiene and sanitation conditions are the major potential sources of intestinal helminthes and protozoa worldwide. The proposed study was aimed at evaluating prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and their associated factors among food handlers working in selected catering establishments. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bule Hora Town from March to April 2020. A total of 136 catering establishments were selected using a systematic sampling technique. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20. The prevalence of intestinal parasites in this study was 46.3%. Entamoeba histolytica was the most predominant parasite (33.3%, i.e., 21/63) while Giardia lamblia was the least (11.1%, i.e., 7/63). Consumption of vended or borehole water and hygienic practices such as hand washing before eating, after using toilet, before cooking and trimming of finger nail and wearing proper working clothes and shoes were statistically significant with intestinal parasitic infection ( P < 0.05 ). Generally, the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in this study was high and contributed by low socioeconomic status and poor environmental and personal hygiene. Measures including education on personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, drinking water supply, regular medical checkups, and treatment should be taken into account to reduce the prevalence of intestinal parasites.

Giardiasis is a protozoan disease caused by the parasite Giardia lamblia. Around 200 million people are infected worldwide annually while, 500,000 deaths were reported each year. The infection rates were between 2–5% in the developed nations and 20–30% in the developing countries. The parasite is associated with poverty, poor sanitation, lack of clean and safe drinking water supply, and poor personal hygiene. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence rate and associated risk factors of G. lamblia infection among the elementary school children at Loka Abaya town, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2018 to July 2019. A total number of 422 students were selected by using simple random sampling. Structured and semi-structured questionnaire was used to identify known risk factors such as environmental, socio-demographic, and behavioural. Stool specimens were collected from the study subjects and examined using direct smear method, microscopically. A bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done. P value less than 0.05 at 95% of the confidence interval was considered statistically significant. The overall prevalence rates of G. lamblia infection were 27.1%. Rural school from Aregeda [AOR: 9.997, P = 0.005], age group of 6–9 years [AOR: 2.305, P = 0.019], consuming tap water [AOR: 0.011, P = 0.006], hand washing habit after defecation with water only [AOR = 0.313, P = 0.040], use of soap and water [AOR: 0.046, P = 0.000] were the factors which are found to be associated with the parasite infection when compared to urban school. As such, the prevalence of G. lamblia infection was found to be high in the studied area among school children. Thus, scaling-up of access to safe water, toilets, education, and health facilities are required to possibly eradicate this predicament.

Aim. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the important crops in Ethiopia which has a crucial role in nutritional security, poverty alleviation, and income generation. The aim of the present investigation is to develop an efficient in vitro propagation protocol for Belete and Gudiene potato varieties by using lateral bud as explants. Materials and Methods. Shoot initiation was achieved by inoculating buds on full-strength MS Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) fortified with variable concentrations of BAP and NAA. Basal MS was used as control throughout the experiment. Results. Results of our study showed that best shoot initiation was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/l BAP + 3.0 mg/l NAA for Gudiene variety, whereas 1.0 mg/l BAP and 2.0 mg/l NAA produced more shoots in Belete variety. The initiated shoots increased two- to three-fold upon subculture on the MS medium fortified with varying concentrations of BAP and Kinetin. The highest numbers of multiple shoots were obtained in the MS medium containing 2.5 mg/l Kinetin. The combined effect of BAP and Kinetin did not produce any additional positive effect for shoot multiplication. Rooting percentage and number of roots/shoot were found best on the MS medium fortified with 1.0 mg/l IBA + 0.5 IAA. Conclusions. The variety Gudiene was found best for shoot initiation and root formation, while Belete variety proved its superiority for multiple shoot formation. A total number of 82.66% of plantlets were acclimatized under field conditions. This work indicates the practical applicability of plant tissue culture using lateral bud as explants is effective for micropropagation of potato in vitro.

Onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease that is prevalent throughout Africa, including developing countries such as Ethiopia. It affects around 37 million people, the majority of whom are from Africa. As a result, the study was designed to look into the community’s knowledge, attitude, and practice about the onchocerciasis elimination campaign. Four communities from Gesha town, Southwest Ethiopia, were chosen. The population was selected using a basic random selection procedure, and 312 people were identified for the study based on the eligibility requirements, with 302 (96.79%) of them responding correctly. The data were analyzed using the descriptive method with the SPSS program version 20. It was discovered that the majority of communities (89.4%) are aware of onchocerciasis. They also have a good awareness of the severity, preventability, therapy, and mode of transmission, yet they have certain misunderstandings. The communities attitude towards community directed therapy (CDT) using Ivermectin is positive (68.5%). According to 56% of the community, offering incentives for community drug distributors (CDD) has the potential to make the elimination campaign more successful. Different measures, such as avoiding any activities near the river, are important in the process of eradicating this disease at the community level. As a result, the respondent demonstrates that covering the lower body part lessens the black fly’s vulnerability because they may attack below the knee. In general, community awareness and attitude are required to eradicate this disease from the district. In addition, increased stakeholder participation and offering motivating rewards for CDT are required to make the elimination program a success.