Antimicrobial susceptibility in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and epidemiological data of gonorrhoea patients in five cities across Ethiopia, 2021-22.

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a global public health concern and enhanced global gonococcal AMR surveillance is imperative. As in many African countries, regular, representative and quality-assured gonococcal AMR is lacking in Ethiopia. We describe the AMR in gonococcal isolates from five cities across Ethiopia, 2021-22, and patient epidemiological data. Methods: Urethral discharge from males and cervical discharge from females were collected from October 2021 to September 2022. Epidemiological data were collected using a questionnaire. MIC determination (ETEST; eight antimicrobials) was performed on gonococcal isolates and EUCAST breakpoints (v13.1) were used. Results: From 1142 urogenital swab samples, 299 species-identified gonococcal isolates were identified; 78.3% were from males and 21.7% from females. The median age for males and females was 25 and 23 years, respectively. Most isolates (61.2%) were identified in Addis Ababa, followed by Gondar (11.4%), Adama (10.4%), Bahir Dar (10.0%) and Jimma (7.0%). The resistance level to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and benzylpenicillin was 97.0%, 97.0% and 87.6%, respectively, and 87.6% of isolates were producing ß-lactamase. All isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone, cefixime, azithromycin and spectinomycin. Recommended therapy [ceftriaxone (250 mg) plus azithromycin (1 g)] was used for 84.2% of patients. Conclusions: We present the first national quality-assured gonococcal AMR data from Ethiopia. Resistance levels to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and benzylpenicillin were exceedingly high. However, all isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone, cefixime, azithromycin and spectinomycin. In Ethiopia, it is essential to strengthen the gonococcal AMR surveillance by including further epidemiological data, more isolates from different cities, and WGS.

Mind training, stress and behaviour-A randomised experiment.

In this paper, we evaluate the effects of a psychological training, called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on stress and risk and time preferences. MBSR is a well-known psychological technique, which is believed to improve self-control and reduce stress. We conduct the experiment with 139 participants, half of whom receive the MBSR training, while the other half are asked to watch a documentary series, both over 4 consecutive weeks. Using a range of self-reported and physiological measures (such as cortisol measures), we find evidence that mindfulness training reduces perceived stress, but we only find weak evidence of effects on risk and inter-temporal attitudes.

Prevalence of Escherichia coli in Under-Five Children with Diarrhea in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Diarrhea remains as a high health burden, especially to children in low-income countries including Ethiopia. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli have been commonly associated as bacterial pathogens causing diarrheal disease among children. This systemic review and meta-analysis was intended to determine the pooled prevalence of Escherichia coli in under-five children with diarrhea in Ethiopia. A comprehensive search in PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and Google search engine and manual searching were done for this systematic review and meta-analysis. The eligibility criteria for selecting studies were studies involving under-five children with diarrhea in Ethiopia, published articles, cross-sectional studies, and articles reported in English. The study was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist. The data analysis was done using STATA 16.0 software. Cochran's Q-test and I 2 statistics were used for the assessment of heterogeneity. The random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of Escherichia coli. A total of 797 articles were initially retrieved, and finally, 11 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of Escherichia coli was 25% (95% CI: 9, 41). The pooled prevalence was varied by region, detection method, and sample size. The high prevalence emphasizes that Escherichia coli is a potential pathogen in under-five children with diarrhea in Ethiopia.

Soil transmitted Helminthiasis and associated risk factors among elementary school children in ambo town, western Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are widespread in underdeveloped countries. In Ethiopia, the prevalence and distribution of helminth infection varies by different exposing risk factors. We therefore investigated the prevalence of and risk factors of STHs infection in school children living in Ambo town, west Shoa Ethiopia. METHODS: In 2014/15, among 375 school children planed to be included in this study, only 321 school children were recruited in the study. Data onto school children from different schools were collected, including stool samples for qualitative STHs analysis. Questionnaire data on various demographic, housing and lifestyle variables were also available. RESULTS: Prevalence of any STHs infection was 12.6%. The respective prevalence of major soil-transmitted helminths is Ascaris (7.8%), Hookworm (2.8%) and Trichuris (2.2%). This study result shows STHs prevalence varies regards to age, sex, latrine use, family size and nail trimming. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicated that the percentage of positive finding for STHs in Ambo area is low. Besides, Large Family size, not nail trimming and unavailability of improved latrine were identified as predisposing factor for STHs infections. All school children enrolled and not enrolled in this study should be treated twice a year until the prevalence falls below the level of public health importance.