- Change 'Research interests" to:Socioeconomic aspects of endemic diseases in Africa and Brazil, with a focus on schistosomiasis and HIV/AIDSedit
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Background: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are neglected tropical diseases. Sanitation and hygiene are vital components for achieving sustainable control of intestinal parasitic infections. Children are the most vulnerable to... more
Background: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are neglected tropical diseases. Sanitation and hygiene are vital components for achieving sustainable control of intestinal parasitic infections. Children are the most vulnerable to intestinal parasitic infections because of their immature immune systems and frequent exposure to unsanitary environments. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of IPIs and associated risk factors, including sanitation and hygiene practices, among under-14-year-old children in rural Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional ’study included 778 subjects aged 1 to 14 years. Data were collected using questionnaires and stool examinations. The direct wet-mount method and formol-ether concentration techniques were performed to identify IPIs. Data Analysis: A descriptive statistic was used to show the prevalence of IPIs. Bi-variable and multivariable analysis using the logistic regression model was carried out. Results: The outputs are presented using an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The prevalence of 5 intestinal parasites was 33.7% (95% CI = 30.4%-37%). Giardia intestinalis (15.2%) and Hymenolepis nana (11.6%) had the highest prevalence. The odds of IPIs among children of illiterate mothers were 13.1 times higher when compared with children of mothers with secondary education (aOR = 13.1, P = .02), and the odds of IPIs among children from households that have unclean latrines were 1.8 times higher when compared with children from households that have clean latrines. (aOR = 1.8, P = .03). Children from households that discard solid waste in open fields had 1.7 times higher odds of having a positive result than children from households that burn their waste (aOR = 1.7, P = .03). However, children without a swimming habit (aOR = 0.4, P = .000) and asymptomatic children (aOR = 0.3, P = .000) were protective against IPIs. Conclusions: IPIs continue to be a public health problem in rural parts of Dire Dawa. The prevalence of Giardia intestinalis and H. nana could be of public health importance in this setting. Solid waste management, latrine cleanliness, mothers’ level of education, and child swimming habits in unclean accumulated water were significantly associated with IPIs. Therefore, efforts should be made to ensure intervention, considering such risks.
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Epidemiological studies were carried out among 180 randomly chosen settler and 180 non-settler households in the three resettlement schemes of Kishe, Gera and Didessa located in river valleys and highland areas of Illubabor Administrative... more
Epidemiological studies were carried out among 180 randomly chosen settler and 180 non-settler households in the three resettlement schemes of Kishe, Gera and Didessa located in river valleys and highland areas of Illubabor Administrative Region in western Ethiopia. Up to 49% of the indigenous populations (in Kishe) and 0.9% of the settlers had onchocerciasis, with a mean density of 13.6 filariae per slide/skin snip for indigenous people and 9.4 for settlers. Onchocerciasis prevalence rates were higher in males than females and were highest in the 20-59 age group. In the Kishe scheme, rates were inversely related to distance between residences and probable forest/stream habitat of Simulium damnosum. No onchocerciasis transmission appears to occur in the Gera scheme at 1,950 meters altitude, apparently due to the absence of suitable vectors. Eight of 622 (1.2%) persons had malaria (P. vivax and P. falciparum). The most common man-biting anophelines were A. gambiae and A. funestus. No human trypanosomiasis cases were found but high livestock mortality was reported by local populations in the lowland schemes of Kishe and Didessa.
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The three transmission patterns found till now in Ethiopia are described. The forest area contains ideal conditions for the breeding of Simulium, but the sparse human population makes the transmission rate low. Only a few people were... more
The three transmission patterns found till now in Ethiopia are described. The forest area contains ideal conditions for the breeding of Simulium, but the sparse human population makes the transmission rate low. Only a few people were found to be infected. The subsistence crop farming area is a less ideal habitat for the vector due to the scarcity of bush and shade. However the presence of a largest population can explain the slightly higher prevalence of the disease than in the forest. The coffee farming area is densely populated, rich in bush and shade, with heavy rainfall and numerous rivers. Here the number of Simulium and their chance to reach the infective stages, are considered to be high. A high prevalence of the disease was found in this zone.
Research Interests: Geography, Biology, Ethiopia, Adolescent, Medicine, and 12 morePopulation, Humans, Child, Habitat, Female, Pubmed, Male, Trees, Adult, Subsistence Agriculture, Simulium, and Onchocerciasis
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1. Ethiop Med J. 1974 Oct;12(4):157-73. Bilharziasis in the Awash Valley: II. Molluscan fauna in irrigation farms and agricultural development. Kloos H, Lemma A. PMID: 4470088 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]. MeSH Terms: ...
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Using available information on the toxicity, phytochemistry, ethnomedical uses and geographic distribution of plants, potentially suitable species are identified for the control of intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis in Ethiopia's... more
Using available information on the toxicity, phytochemistry, ethnomedical uses and geographic distribution of plants, potentially suitable species are identified for the control of intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis in Ethiopia's lowlands where endod (Phytolacca dodecandra) is not available. Of 46 species with moderate to high snail-killing potency, 35 are indigenous to Ethiopia. They include 12 plant species with molluscicidal levels similar to those of endod, four of which are particularly suitable for snail control because of their low mammalian toxicity. Another 127 species indigenous to Ethiopia belong to genera with proven molluscicidal activity. The model for plant screening used here permits preliminary assessment of the suitability of plant resources in a given region or locality for snail control programs using existing data, without prior testing of local plants, making this approach appropriate for many developing countries.
Research Interests: Biology, Ethiopia, Medicine, Pubmed, Animals, and 7 morePlants, Snails, Snail, Plant extracts, Plant species, Biological Pest Control, and Indigenous
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Disease concepts and medical treatment practices surrounding schistosomiasis haematobium were studied among males in Upper Egyptian villages and towns using interview methods. Most informants considered bilharzia to be a serious disease... more
Disease concepts and medical treatment practices surrounding schistosomiasis haematobium were studied among males in Upper Egyptian villages and towns using interview methods. Most informants considered bilharzia to be a serious disease for which they commonly sought treatment. Its occurrence was attributed primarily to natural causes, particularly various aquatic worms and insects, dirts, excrement, dead animals, toxins and stagnant and vegetated waters, mostly large canals. Contact with water from the Nile river was generally thought to be quite safe. Drug treatment was weakly associated with amount of education. All groups reported use of antischistosomal drugs and plant medicines. Seventy-four per cent of the sample had a treatment history, 64% having taken oral drugs and/or injections, 40% plant medicines and 29% both. Drinking decoctions of damsissa (Ambrosia maritima) was the most commonly used household remedy. Plant materials were usually obtained from fields, gardens and local markets and patent medicines from nearby clinics and private physicians in towns. Recommendations are made for the national mass chemotherapy programme.
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Fifty local medicinal, agricultural and wild growing deciduous plants, representing 49 species, 46 genera and 22 families, were screened as water extracts at 1:1000 concentration for molluscicidal activity against Biomphalaria pfeifferi... more
Fifty local medicinal, agricultural and wild growing deciduous plants, representing 49 species, 46 genera and 22 families, were screened as water extracts at 1:1000 concentration for molluscicidal activity against Biomphalaria pfeifferi in Machakos District, Kenya. Forty-seven of the 50 (94%) plants and 106 of the 134 (79%) plant materials (roots, stems, leaves, fruits, flowers and seeds) were molluscicidal. The leaves of Pappea capensis (Sapindaceae), Steganotaenia araliacea (Umbelliferae), Zornia setosa subsp. obvata (Papilionaceae) and Terminalia kilimandscharica (Combretaceae), the flower pods of Hyptis pectinata (Labiatae), the seeds of Acacia nilotica (Mimosaceae) and the fruits and roots of Solanum nigrum (Solanaceae) gave 100% kill. Another 15 species produced mortality rates between 53% and 87%. Plants were evaluated for possible use in local snail control programmes by considering their growing characteristics, habitat requirements, toxicity in non-target organisms, abundance in the study area and competing uses.
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The use of cercariometry in epidemiological studies has been limited by turbidity, difficulty of recovering cercariae at low concentrations in natural waters, and by complex apparatus that requires a power source. The technique of... more
The use of cercariometry in epidemiological studies has been limited by turbidity, difficulty of recovering cercariae at low concentrations in natural waters, and by complex apparatus that requires a power source. The technique of differential filtration developed by Theron has been modified and tested in the laboratory and in the field in Upper Egypt for detection of Schistosoma haematobium cercariae. A recovery filter with a pore size of 30 micrometer was found to give the best results. The recovery rate in the laboratory was 51% on filtration of 5-liter samples of formalin-treated water, and 19-30% with 10- and 20-liter samples. This moderate efficiency is offset by simplicity of the technique, rapid filtration, and ease of reading the recovery filter, permitting sampling of large volumes of water in the field by persons with little training. Average densities of 0.024 cercariae per liter of water were found at the Nile and 0.029 cercariae per liter in the irrigation canals. Most cercariae were recovered between 0.700 and 0900 hours.
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Most socioeconomic studies of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa have emphasized impacts and responses, particularly regarding issues surrounding household welfare, broad socioeconomic consequences, and social responses (Bukusi 2008; Kapunda... more
Most socioeconomic studies of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa have emphasized impacts and responses, particularly regarding issues surrounding household welfare, broad socioeconomic consequences, and social responses (Bukusi 2008; Kapunda 2005; Muiruri 2008; Nuwagaba 2005; Pankhurst et al. 2008). A number of studies have examined the interfaces between food insecurity, poverty, and HIV/AIDS (see for example Crush et al. 2011; d’Adesky 2007; Gillespie 2008; Ogunbayo 2004; OxfamInternational and Save the Children-UK 2002; Russell 2005; UNAIDS 2008; USAID and PEPFAR 2007; Weiser et al. 2007). Most of the studies have failed to consider different agricultural, socioeconomic, and cultural environments, thus failing to capture context-specific dynamics. Drimie and Casale (2009) warned that a combination of HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, a weakened capacity of governments to deliver basic social services, and compromised resilience or ability of households to cope threaten the current and future welfare of people, particularly children, in several southern African countries.
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Research Interests: Information Technology, Emergency Medicine, Epidemiology, Molecular Biology, Bibliography, and 13 moreDiaspora, Health, Public Health, Medicine, Biomedical, Tuberculosis, Developing Country, Two Stroke Engine, Socioeconomic Status, Intensive Care Unit, Myocardial Infarction, Ethiopian, and confounding
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Research Interests: Environmental microbiology, Climate Change, Biology, Developing Countries, Capacity Building, and 15 moreCommunity Based Participatory Research, Biological Sciences, Collaborative Research, Biomedical Research, Developing Country, Americas, Drug Resistance, Asia, Developing World, Endemic Diseases, Burden of Disease, Basic Research, Communicable disease control, Cooperative Behavior, and Diagnostic Tool
This book offers insights into the major communicable, noncommunicable and nutritional diseases affecting Ethiopia. With background on the geographic distribution, epidemiology, public health significance, socioeconomic and political... more
This book offers insights into the major communicable, noncommunicable and nutritional diseases affecting Ethiopia. With background on the geographic distribution, epidemiology, public health significance, socioeconomic and political aspects, as well as control issues, the book aims to be of interest to practicing health workers in Africa and other developing areas, researchers, policymakers and students of tropical medicine, international health, disaster management, Third World development and African studies.
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... Stuart McFeeters, and David Turton 253 Chapter 10: Flooding in Ethiopia: Recent History and the 2006 Flood Semu Moges, Yirga Alemu, Stuart McFeeters, and Worku Legesse 285 Chapter 11: A Case Study of the 2006 Flood: Dire Dawa Yohannes... more
... Stuart McFeeters, and David Turton 253 Chapter 10: Flooding in Ethiopia: Recent History and the 2006 Flood Semu Moges, Yirga Alemu, Stuart McFeeters, and Worku Legesse 285 Chapter 11: A Case Study of the 2006 Flood: Dire Dawa Yohannes Gebre Michael 307 Page 10. ...
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A number of studies have pointed out the potential importance of the household in the transmission of schistosomiasis. The clustering of domestic activities associated with water collection, storage, and usage can result in the sharing of... more
A number of studies have pointed out the potential importance of the household in the transmission of schistosomiasis. The clustering of domestic activities associated with water collection, storage, and usage can result in the sharing of transmission sites and infective water contact behaviours. In this study, we employed a variance component method to estimate effects due to individual risk factors and shared residence on the variance in faecal egg counts during Schistosoma mansoni infection. A suite of covariates, which included demographic, socioeconomic, water supply, and water contact behaviour terms, contributed 15% to the variance in faecal egg counts. Shared residence alone accounted for 28% of the variance in faecal egg excretion. When both the suite of covariates and shared residence were considered in the same model, shared residence still contributed 22% to the variance in infection intensity. These results point to the importance of shared residence as a means of capturing the complex interrelationship between shared demographic, socioeconomic, physical environmental, and behavioural factors that influence transmission of schistosomiasis at the household level.