Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Age-Related Factors Influencing The Occurrence Of Undernutrition In Northeastern Ethiopia, Abraham Degarege, Elifaged Hailemeskel, Berhanu Erko

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition is a major public health problem on the globe particularly in the developing regions. The objective of the current study was to assess the prevalence of undernutrition in different age groups and examine the relationship of the disease to parasitic and socioeconomic factors among communities in Harbu Town, northeastern Ethiopia.

METHODS: Stool samples of the study participants were examined for intestinal helminth infections using the Kato-Katz method. Blood specimens were diagnosed for Plasmodium infection using CareStartTM Malaria Pf/Pv Combo test. The blood type was determined from blood samples using antisera A and antisera B. In addition, the height …

Prevalence Of Schistosoma Haematobium Infection Among School-Age Children In Afar Area, Northeastern Ethiopia, Abraham Degarege, Zeleke Mekonnen, Bruno Levecke, Mengistu Legesse, Yohannes Negash, Jozef Vercruysse, Berhanu Erko

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

In this study, the prevalence and intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infection was determined among school-age children living in the Middle and Lower Awash Valley, Afar Regional State of Ethiopia. Between February and May 2014, urine samples were collected from 885 school-age children (5-16 years of age) from the Middle (n = 632; 4 villages) and Lower (n = 253; 3 villages) Awash Valley. All samples were processed using urine filtration to detect and quantify S. haematobium eggs. In addition, a subset of the urine samples was tested for hematuria using a urine dipstick (n = 556). The overall prevalence was …

Experimental Evolution Of An Rna Virus In Wild Birds: Evidence For Host-Dependent Impacts On Population Structure And Competitive Fitness, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Darci R. Smith, Doug E. Brackney, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, Joseph R. Fauver, Corey L. Campbell, Todd A. Felix, Hannah Romo, Nisha K. Duggal, Elizabeth A. Dietrich, Tyler Eike, Jennifer E. Beane, Richard A. Bowen, William C. Black, Aaron C. Brault, Gregory D. Ebel

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Within hosts, RNA viruses form populations that are genetically and phenotypically complex. Heterogeneity in RNA virus genomes arises due to error-prone replication and is reduced by stochastic and selective mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Defining how natural selection shapes RNA virus populations is critical because it can inform treatment paradigms and enhance control efforts. We allowed West Nile virus (WNV) to replicate in wild-caught American crows, house sparrows and American robins to assess how natural selection shapes RNA virus populations in ecologically relevant hosts that differ in susceptibility to virus-induced mortality. After five sequential passages in each bird species, we …

Comparison Of Individual And Pooled Urine Samples For Estimating The Presence And Intensity Of Schistosoma Haematobium Infections At The Population Level, Abraham Degarege, Berhanu Erko, Zeleke Mekonnen, Mengistu Legesse, Yohannes Negash, Jozef Vercruysse, Bruno Levecke

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of cost-effective diagnostic strategies to evaluate whether mass drug administration (MDA) programmes to control Schistosoma haematobium progress as anticipated. The purpose of this study is to provide a proof-of-principle for examination of pooled urine samples as a strategy for rapid assessment of presence and intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infections at the population level.

METHODS: A total of 640 urine samples were collected from 520 school-aged children (520 at baseline and 120 at follow-up) during a clinical trial that was designed to assess the efficacy of praziquantel against Schistosoma haematobium infections in Ethiopia. Individual and pooled …