PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Getahun Mengistu

Publications and source records attributed to Getahun Mengistu.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in dyspeptic patients and its relationship with HIV infection, ABO blood groups and life style in a university hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

AIM: To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) among dyspeptic patients and to assess the relationship between H pylori infection, blood group, HIV infection and life style of the patients. METHODS: In a hospital-based cross-sectional study, patients attending Outpatient Department of University of Gondar Hospital were enrolled. Socio-demographic information was collected using questionnaires. Serum was analyzed for anti-H pylori IgG antibodies using a commercial kit. HIV serostatus was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Blood grouping was performed by slide agglutination tests. RESULTS: A total of 215 dyspeptic patients were included in the study. One hundred and sixteen patients (54%) were females and 99 (46%) were males. Anti-H pylori IgG antibodies were detected in sera of 184 (85.6%) patients. The prevalence was significantly higher in patients aged 50 years and above. Twenty point five percent of the patients were found to be seropositive for HIV. No significant association was found between sex, ABO blood groups, consumption of spicy diets, socio-economic status and seropositivity for H pylori. However, alcohol consumption was significantly associated with H pylori serology. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of H pylori infection is associated with a history of alcohol intake and older age. The effect of different diet, alcohol and socioeconomic status as risk factors for H pylori infection needs further study.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed2006

Are intestinal helminths risk factors for developing active tuberculosis?

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of intestinal helminth infections in active tuberculosis patients and their healthy household contacts and to assess its association with active TB in an area endemic for both types of infections. METHODS: Smear-positive pulmonary TB patients and healthy household contacts were tested for intestinal helminths using direct microscopy and the formol-ether concentration techniques. Three consecutive stool samples were examined before the start of TB chemotherapy. Sputum microscopy was done using the sodium hypochlorite concentration techniques. Participants were also tested for HIV by commercial sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 230 smear-positive TB patients and 510 healthy household contacts. The prevalence of intestinal helminths was 71% in patients and 36% in controls. HIV seroprevalence was significantly higher in patients than in controls (46.7%vs. 11.6%, P < 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis showed a strong association between TB and intestinal helminth infection (OR = 4.2, 95% CI 2.7-5.9, P < 0.001), and between TB and HIV infection (OR = 7.8, 95% CI 4.8-12.6, P < 0.0001). The odds of being a TB patient increased with the number of helminth species per person: in individuals with mono-infection it was 4.3 (95% CI 2.8-6.8); in people infected with two species was 4.7 (95% CI 2.5-8.7), and in patients infected with three or more helminths was 12.2 (3.9-52.6). CONCLUSION: Intestinal helminth infection may be one of the risk factors for the development of active pulmonary TB in addition to HIV infection. This finding may have important implications in the control of TB in helminth endemic areas of the world.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Characterization of Neisseria meningitidis isolates from recent outbreaks in Ethiopia and comparison with those recovered during the epidemic of 1988 to 1989.

The objectives of this study were to collect and characterize epidemic meningococcal isolates from Ethiopia from 2002 to 2003 and to compare them to 21 strains recovered during the previous large epidemic of 1988 to 1989. Ninety-five patients in all age groups with clinical signs of meningitis and a turbid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample were included in the study of isolates from 2002 to 2003. Seventy-one patients (74.7%) were confirmed as having Neisseria meningitidis either by culture (n = 40) or by porA PCR (n = 31) of their CSF. The overall case fatality rate (CFR) was 11.6%; the N. meningitidis-specific CFR was 4.2%. All 40 strains were fully susceptible to all antibiotics tested except sulfonamide, were serotyped as A:4/21:P1.20,9, and belonged to sequence type 7 (ST-7). The strains from 1988 to 1989 were also equally susceptible and were characterized as A:4/21:P1.20,9, but they belonged to ST-5. Antigenic characterization of the strains revealed differences in the repertoire of lipooligosaccharides and Opa proteins between the old and the recent strains. PCR analysis of the nine lgt genes revealed the presence of the lgtAHFG genes in both old and recent strains; lgtB was present in only some of the strains, but no correlation with sequence type was observed. Further analysis showed that in addition to their pgm alleles, the Ethiopian ST-5 and ST-7 strains also differed in their tbpB, opa, fetA, and lgtA genes. The occurrence of new antigenic structures in strains sharing the same serogroup, PorA, and PorB may help explain the replacement of ST-5 by ST-7 in the African meningitis belt.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus among blood donors in Northwest Ethiopia, 1995-2002.

Data on age, sex, occupation, HIV serostatus and year of donation were collected from the blood donors log book of Gondar College of Medical Sciences Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, for the period between January 1995 and December 2002 and analysed. The crude HIV seroprevalence was 9.9% (1109/11,204). A declining trend in the prevalence was observed from as high as 15.7% (207/1321) in 1995 to 9.3% (123/1327) in 1999 and down to 4.3% (68/1576) in 2002. The declining trend observed in recent years is encouraging and should further be strengthened by making use of the blood bank as an entry point for HIV testing and counselling services.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Analysis and reporting of meningococcal meningitis epidemic in north Gondar 2001-2002.

Severe epidemic meningococcal meningitis occurs in countries of the meningitis belt of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Many epidemics occurred in this country in the past decade, the recent being in 2000 in Addis Ababa unusually during the wet and rainy season. The study was a cross-sectional design. Data were collected with prepared questionnaires and the line listing. CSF (Cerebro Spinal Fluid) culture and antibiotic sensitivities were done for a limited number of patients. The objective of the study was to assess the progress and management outcome of the epidemic. During the out breaks of epidemic meningitis in north Gondar zone of the Amhara regional state in 2001 and 2002 children and young adults were most affected. There were 384 cases and 26 deaths in 2001 and 1235 cases and 128 deaths, in 2002, making a total of 1619 cases and 154 deaths with a case fatality rate of 9.5%. The etiologic agent was sero-group A. The most affected age group was 15-30 years. About 80% of the cases were in the age 30 years and below. Surveillance, epidemic preparedness, interventions and response were found to be inadequate. Selective vaccination was not effective in handling the epidemic. Efficient surveillance, local processing and use of data, regional laboratory support, multisectoral approach and mass vaccination were recommended to appropriately and timely handle such epidemics.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Some factors affecting prevalence of and immune responses to Schistosoma mansoni in schoolchildren in Gorgora, northwest Ethiopia.

There are population variations in human immune responses to infection with Schistosoma mansoni prior to and following treatment. The aims of the present study were a) to study some of the factors correlating with antibody levels against the parasite infection, b) to determine whether there were changes in antibody responses to the parasite in infected young people following drug treatment, and c) to identify some of the social, demographic and clinical factors associated with infection in this age group. The study population comprised 10 to 14 year old children attending Gorgora Primary School. One hundred sixty fife of the 325 children screened by Kato smear were found to be excreting S. mansoni eggs, a prevalence of 50.8%. The infected children were treated with Praziquantel, and examined for infection six weeks later. Levels of IgG and IgA antiworm antibodies were determined by ELISA from blood samples drawn prior to and six weeks after treatment. IgG antibody titres in the infected children were higher in the older children and were higher in males than in females. Antibody titres did not show significant change six weeks after treatment. A significantly higher proportion of the boys is infected, and the infected boys had higher egg counts than the infected girls. There was no correlation between egg excretion and any of the clinical symptoms measured. The age of the children significantly affected prevalence, whereas sex and swimming habit had only marginal effects. Place of residence, clinical profiles and presence of other parasites did not affect prevalence. Male sex and older age were associated with higher IgG titer to parasite antigens.

Adolescent↗