Natural Enemies of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith) and comparing Neem aqueous extracts with its larvae, Gurage zone, central Ethiopia.

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith) is an invasive and polyphagous insect pest. It poses a significant threat to maize crops, uncontrolled infestation can result 100 % loss. However, natural enemies play a vital role in regulating the population of this pest. Additionally, botanical sources extracts have the potential to be effective insecticides. The objectives of the study were to investigate the natural enemies of S. frugiperda in the Gurage zone and to compare efficacy of Neem seed and leaf aqueous extracts with S. frugiperda larvae, central Ethiopia. S. frugiperda larvae and egg masses, cocoons and larvae cadavers collected from infested maze farms. From each round collection 25 healthy and inactive larvae were sampled to rear until emerging adults. Observed predator species recorded. Neem seed and leaf aqueous extracts was tested against S. frugiperda in laboratory condition. The study found a diverse range of natural enemies associated with S. frugiperda, including parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogenic fungi. Three species of parasitoids (Exorista xanthaspis, Tachina spp., and Charops annulipes) were documented in Ethiopia for the first time. Predatory insects belonging to four distinct orders: Hemiptera, Dermaptera, Coleoptera, and Mantodea also identified. In particular, various Hemipterans were observed in the maize farms infested with S. frugiperda. In terms of Neem seed and leaf aqueous extracts, they demonstrated similar mortality rates for S. frugiperda larvae after 72 h, although differences were observed at 24 and 48 h. For effective management of S. frugiperda, more research is needed to fully exploit the potential of natural enemies and botanical source insecticides.

Tuberculosis Presenting With Acute Myocarditis and Systolic Heart Failure.

Tuberculosis presenting with myocarditis and severe systolic dysfunction is rarely reported. So far, only a few cases were reported from India. Our aim is to report this rare presentation of a common disease that we encountered at Narayana Multispecialty Hospital, Jaipur. A 34-year-old lady having disseminated tuberculosis involving lung, lymph node, and myocardium with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction received medical treatment in our hospital. She had elevated cardiac biomarkers, severe left ventricular regional wall hypokinesis with an ejection fraction of 25-30%, bilateral upper and middle lobe ground-glass opacities, as well as mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathies on chest computed tomography scan and normal coronary angiogram. The patient was started with anti-tuberculosis therapy, a beta-blocker, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and a corticosteroid and discharged after one week in a stable condition. The third month of follow up showed recovery and improvement in cardiac function.

Knowledge, Attitude and Self-Care Practice towards Control of Hypertension among Hypertensive Patients on Follow-up at St. Paul's Hospital, Addis Ababa.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is the number one cardiovascular risk factor and the leading cause of mortality worldwide. It's the driver of the cardiovascular disease epidemic in Africa where it is a major, independent risk factor for heart failure, stroke and renal failure. There is no study to assess the level of knowledge of hypertension among hypertensive patients in our setup. The objective of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and selfcare practice towards control of hypertension among hypertensive patients on follow up at our hospital. METHODS: A total of 385 hypertensive patients who were on follow up at our hospital were randomly selected for interview. The Sociodemographic and relevant clinical data were extracted using a structured questionnaire. Operational definitions and Likert scale was used to compare the variables. RESULTS: Only 48.6% of hypertensive patients participated in this study have good basic knowledge of hypertension, 47.8% of them have good attitude and only 39.5% of the study participants have good practice towards control of hypertension. Male sex, formal education and being urban resident are associated with better knowledge, attitude and self-care practice of hypertensive patients at our hospital. CONCLUSION: The result states that there is an inadequate knowledge about hypertension; as well attitude and self-care practice towards control of hypertension among our hypertensive patients is generally poor. Responsible bodies should focus on addressing such limitations of hypertensive patients. Attention should be given to hypertensive patients who are females, low educational level and those coming from rural.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice about epilepsy among teachers at Ethio-National School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is one of the most common serious chronic brain disorders and is poorly understood by the public and has been associated with numerous misconceptions and beliefs. This, coupled with its dramatic clinical manifestations, has resulted in a strong social stigma. Since teachers have a key role in society as educators, the purpose of this study was to find out the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards epilepsy among school teachers. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of 135 teachers about epilepsy using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire. Data were entered into IBM SPSS version 20.0 and analyzed. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, means, and standard deviations were used to describe the data. Associations were computed using a chi-square test and p-value<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Nearly all teachers 122 (96.3 %) were aware of epilepsy. Only 41% of the respondents had good knowledge about epilepsy whereas 26.8% and 32.3% had fair and poor knowledge about the disease, respectively. About 74% of them had a positive attitude about epilepsy. Only 60.3% of the respondents had proper first aid training. Literacy status and years of experience were not significantly associated with the level of knowledge about epilepsy. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of teachers had deficits in terms of general knowledge, attitude, and the appropriate management of epilepsy in the classroom. Therefore, it is important to train and update teachers on epilepsy by the responsible health authorities.

PATTERN OF ANTIHYPERTENSIVE THERAPY AMONG DIABETIC HYPERTEN- SIVE PATIENTS IN ZEWDITU MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, ADDIS ABABA.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus is becoming a common chronic disease in both developed and developing nations and is associated with significant cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. The presence of hypertension in patients with diabetes mellitus doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, renalfailure and peripheral arterial disease. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of antihypertensive drug therapy among diabetic hypertensive patients in Zewditu Memorial Hospital Diabetic Clinic in Addis Ababa. METHODS: This is a hospital based retrospective review of medical records of 382 diabetic-hypertensive patients who visited the Zewditu Memorial Hospital Diabetic Clinic in the period between August 2014 and January 2015. RESULTS: The most frequently prescribed antihypertensive drug classes were angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor in 321 (84%) followed by calcium channel blocker in 229 (60%) and beta blocker in 145 (38%) patients. Enalapril, nifedipine, atenolol, losartan and hydrochlorthiazide were the only angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, calcium channel blocker, beta blocker, angiotensin receptor blocker and diuretic prescribed, respectively. Enalapril was used as a monotherapy in 73 (19%) and nifedipine in 26(7%), patients. The recommended target systolic blood pressure < 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg was achieved in only 57 (15%) patients while the remaining 325 (85%) did not attain the target blood pressure. Renal function was assessed in 351(92%) patients, of whom 23 (6%) had renal impairment with an estimated glomerular filtrate rate < 60 ml/min. CONCLUSION: The pattern of antihypertensive drug therapy in our patients was consistent with the current treatment guidelines. However, the majority of diabetic-hypertensive patients did not reach target blood pressure.