Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses among waste handlers in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus are the leading causes of global liver-related morbidity and mortality. Waste handlers are one of the high-risk groups for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus acquisition. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the pooled prevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus among waste handlers in Ethiopia. Methods: Articles were extensively searched in bibliographic databases and gray literature using entry terms or phrases. Studies meeting eligibility criteria were extracted in MS Excel and exported to STATA version 14 software for statistical analysis. A random-effects model was used to compute the pooled magnitude of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. Heterogeneity was quantified by using the I2 value. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger's test. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the impact of a single study on pooled effect size. Result: Of the 116 studies identified, 8 studies were selected for meta-analysis. All studies reported hepatitis B virus, while 5 studies reported hepatitis C virus infection among waste handlers. The overall pooled prevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection among waste handlers in Ethiopia was 5.07% (2.0-8.15) and 1.46% (0.52-2.4), respectively. Moreover, the pooled prevalence of lifetime hepatitis B virus exposure among Ethiopian waste handlers was 33.98% (95% CI: 21.24-46.72). Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection were not statistically associated with the type of waste handlers, that is, there was no difference between medical and nonmedical waste handlers. PROSPERO registration: CRD42023398686. Conclusion: The pooled prevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection among waste handlers in Ethiopia was intermediate and moderate, respectively. This showed that there is a strong need to scale up preventive efforts and strategic policy directions to limit the spread of these viruses. Moreover, we also conclude that handling healthcare and domestic waste is associated with a similar risk of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection.

Prevalence of enteric pathogens, intestinal parasites and resistance profile of bacterial isolates among HIV infected and non-infected diarrheic patients in Dessie Town, Northeast Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Enteric pathogens like Salmonella and Shigella species as well as intestinal parasites (IPs) are among the main causative agents of diarrhea in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), particularly in low income countries like Ethiopia. Antimicrobial resistance against commonly prescribed drugs has become a major global threat. This study, therefore, aimed at determining the magnitude of Salmonella, Shigella and IPs infections, their predicting factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among HIV infected and non-infected diarrheic patients in Dessie town, Northeast Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted at three health facilities in Northeast Ethiopia between January 2018 and March 2018. Data on socio-demographic and associated risk factors were collected using structured questionnaire from 354 HIV infected and non-infected diarrheic outpatients. Fresh stool specimen was processed according to standard operating procedures. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics was used to determine frequency, Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predicting factors associated with the outcome variable. P-value <0.05 were used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: Among 354 diarrheic patients, 112 were HIV infected and 242 were HIV non-infected. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasite and bacterial infection among HIV infected versus non-infected, respectively, was 26 (23.2%) and 8 (7.1%) versus 50 (20.7) and 16 (6.6%). Salmonella was the highest in both groups, 6 (5.4%) vs 11 (4.5%). Most prevalent parasite was C. parvum, 9 (8%) among HIV+ while E. histolytica/dispar 39 (16.1%) among HIV-. Having bloody plus mucoid diarrhea, not utilizing latrine and drinking river or spring water were factors significantly associated with bacterial infection. Whereas, being illiterate or having primary level education, diarrhea lasting for 6-10 days, CD4 level between 200-500 cells/µl, not washing hand with soap showed significant association with IPs. The bacterial isolates were 100% susceptible to Ceftriaxone and 95.4% to Ciprofloxacin, while 100% resistant to Ampicillin and Amoxicillin. MDR was observed among 19 (79.2%) isolates. CONCLUSION: Preventing and controlling infection by enteric pathogens as well as IPs require strengthening intervention measures. The 100% resistance of isolates to commonly prescribed antibiotics calls for expanding antimicrobial susceptibility testing so as to select appropriate antimicrobial agent and prevent emergence of drug resistant bacteria.

Bacterial Profiles and Their Associated Factors of Urinary Tract Infection and Detection of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Producing Gram-Negative Uropathogens Among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus at Dessie Referral Hospital, Northeastern Ethiopia.

PURPOSE: To determine the bacterial profile with its associated risk factors and to identify extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacterial uropathogens among diabetic patients at Dessie Referral Hospital, Northeastern Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to September 2018. A total of 336 diabetic patients were included using a simple random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and risk factor-related data. A 10-mL mid-stream urine specimen was collected and transported to the microbiology laboratory for culture, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and detection of ESBL-producing bacteria. The data were entered into SPSS version 22, and descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. A p-value ≤0.05 with a 95% confidence interval was considered for statistical significance. RESULTS: Among 336 diabetic patients, the overall prevalence of UTI was 11.6%. The predominant bacterial isolate was Escherichia coli 12/39 (30.8%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae 11/39 (28.2%) and coagulase-negative staphylococci 7/39 (17.9%). Gram-negative isolates showed 100% resistance to ampicillin, whereas Gram-positive isolates showed a high level of resistance to penicillin and tetracycline. Moreover, MDR was observed among 18 (46.2%) of the isolates and 2 of the isolated Gram-negative bacteria were ESBL producers. Being illiterate (AOR=7.226, 95% CI: (1.478, 35.340), p<0.015), having current symptoms of UTI (AOR = 2.702, 95% CI: (1.102, 6.624), p=0.030), and blood glucose level ≥126 mg/dl (AOR = 2.940, 95% CI: (1.080, 8.005), p=0.035) were significantly associated with the occurrence of bacterial UTI. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of significant bacteriuria (11.6%) in this study was comparable with some studies in Ethiopia and relatively lower than others. A moderately higher rate of resistance to the commonly used antimicrobial agents was noticed for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive isolates. Health information dissemination should be given about UTI, glycemic control, and habit of drug use for diabetes mellitus patients.