The objectives of this study were to assess the heterogeneities of estimates and to estimate the seroprevalence of brucellosis in animals and humans in Ethiopia. Data from 70 studies covering 75879 animals and 2223 humans were extracted. Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Complement Fixation Test (CFT) in series were the most frequently used serological tests. A random effects model was used to calculate pooled prevalence estimates. The overall True Prevalence of brucellosis seropositivity in goats and sheep were estimated at 5.3% (95%CI = 3.5, 7.5) and 2.7% (95%CI = 1.8, 3.4), respectively, and 2.9% for each of camels and cattle. The prevalence was higher in post-pubertal than in pre-pubertal animals (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 2.6, 3.7) and in the pastoral than in the mixed crop-livestock production system (OR = 2.8, 95%CI = 2.5, 3.2). The incidence rates of brucellosis in humans of pastoral and sedentary system origins were estimated at 160 and 28 per 100 000 person years, respectively. The seroprevalence of brucellosis is higher in goats than in other species. Its occurrence is evocative of its importance in the country in general and in the pastoral system in particular. Public awareness creation could reduce the transmission of Brucella spp. from animals to humans and the potential of livestock vaccination as a means of control of brucellosis needs to be assessed. Brucellosis is one of the neglected zoonotic diseases with major outcomes of reproductive wastage in livestock and debilitating illnesses in humans. Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan African countries with the largest animal and second largest human population. The aim of this study was to estimate the occurrence of brucellosis in animals and humans. To this effect, data from 70 published studies were extracted, and meta-analytical methods were employed. Of the domestic animals, the highest prevalence was in goats (5.3%), and the lowest in sheep (2.7%). Brucellosis seropositivity was higher in animals of the pastoral than the mixed crop-livestock production system. In humans, the prevalence was estimated at 17.4% in the pastoral and 3.1% in the sedentary system, and the incidence rates, respectively, were 160 and 28 per 100 000 person years. The high occurrence of the disease is evocative of its importance in the country in general and in the pastoral system in particular. Public awareness creation could help reduce its occurrence in humans, and the potential of livestock vaccination as a means of control needs to be assessed.

Human Salmonellosis is one of the major diseases in Ethiopia and several factors including under and mal-nutrition and HIV-AIDS may substantially contribute to its occurrence. Despite its importance, surveillance and monitoring systems are not in place and a comprehensive picture of its epidemiology is not available. The objectives of this study were to systematically review and estimate the prevalence of the disease and identify the dominant serogroups and serotypes in Ethiopia.

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and assess the potential risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infections in animals and humans in Ethiopia by using meta-analytical methods. Published studies on T. gondii in animals and humans in Ethiopia were searched in Medline, Google Scholar and the lists of references of articles. Eligible studies were selected by using inclusion and exclusion criteria. The risks of within and across study biases, and the variations in prevalence estimates attributable to heterogeneities were assessed. Pooled prevalence was estimated by the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model. Thirty two studies were eligible and data from 5689 animals and 5718 humans were used for quantitative syntheses. The pooled IgG seroprevalence in cats, small ruminants and humans were estimated at 87.72 % (95 % CI = 78.63, 93.28), 34.59 % (95 % CI = 21.08, 51.12) and 74.73 % (95 % CI = 61.85, 84.36), respectively. The odds of infections were higher in pregnant than in non pregnant women (OR = 3.96), in individuals that had contact with cats than those with no contact (OR = 2.53), and in urban than in rural inhabitants (OR = 2.06). Toxoplasmosis is highly prevalent and could be a cause of considerable reproductive wastage in small ruminants and multiple diseases in humans in Ethiopia. Public education on preventive measures could help reduce the transmission of the parasite to humans.

The contributions of animal products to human salmonellosis differ across countries, and source attribution is a major step in prioritizing control measures. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella in raw animal products in Ethiopia by using meta-analytical methods. The odds of Salmonella contaminated meat was more than twice higher in markets than in slaughter houses [Odds ratio (OR) = 2.25 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.75, 2.89)]. The source species significantly affected meat contamination in slaughter houses (P < 0.05) but not in the markets (P > 0.05). The pooled estimates of Salmonella contaminated goat carcasses, beef carcasses, minced beef and milk were 3.86%, 4.53%, 8.34% and 10.76% respectively. The estimates demonstrate the extent of contamination, and imply the need for safety intervention measures to reduce the risks of contamination of animal products and human illnesses.

Medicinal plants play great roles in the treatment of various infectious diseases. Rhamnus prinoides is one of the medicinal plants used traditionally for treatment of bacterial diseases. The antibacterial activity of the crude extract of the plant had been shown by a previous study, but this study was undertaken to further the claimed medicinal use of the plant by screening its solvent fractions for the said activity so that it could serve as a basis for subsequent studies. The solvent fractions of the plant were obtained by successive soxhlet extraction with solvents of increasing polarity, with chloroform and methanol, followed by maceration of the marc of methanol fraction with water. The antibacterial activity of the solvent fractions was evaluated on seven bacterial species using agar well diffusion method at different concentrations (78 mg/well, 39 mg/well and 19.5 mg/well) in the presence of positive and negative controls. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the solvent fractions was determined by micro-broth dilution method using resazurin as indicator. Methanol and chloroform fractions revealed antibacterial activities against the growth of test bacterial strains with varying antibacterial spectrum and the susceptible bacterial species were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Salmonella typhi. The average minimum inhibitory concentration value of the methanol and chloroform fractions ranged from 8.13 mg/ml to 32.5 mg/ml and from 8.13 mg/ml to 16.25 mg/ml, respectively. The methanol and chloroform fractions demonstrated significant antibacterial activities against the growth of pathogenic bacteria but the aqueous fraction did not reveal antibacterial activity against any of the test bacteria.

Wide-ranging evidence on the occurrence of fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance genetic determinants in African Salmonella strains is not available. The main objectives of this study were to assess the heterogeneity, estimate pooled proportions and describe the preponderance of FQ-resistance determinants in typhoidal and non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) isolates of Africa. Genetic and phenotypic data on 6103 Salmonella isolates were considered. Meta- and frequency analyses were performed depending on the number of studies by category, number of isolates and risks of bias. A random effects model was used to assess heterogeneity and estimate pooled proportions. Relative and cumulative frequencies were calculated to describe the overall preponderance of FQ-resistance determinants in quinolone resistant isolates. The pooled proportion of gyrA mutants (Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis) was estimated at 5.7% (95% Confidence interval (CI) = 2.6, 9.8; Tau squared (T²) = 0.1105), and was higher in S. Typhi than in S. Typhimurium (odds ratio (OR) = 3.3, 95%CI = 2, 5.7). The proportions of each of gyrB and parC mutants, and strains with Plasmid Mediated Quinolone Resistance genes (qnrA, qnrB and qnrS) were low (≤ 0.3%). Overall, 23 mutant serotypes were identified, and most strains had mutations at codons encoding Ser83 and Asp87 of gyrA (82%, 95%CI = 78, 86). Mutations at gyrA appear to account for ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility in most clinical Salmonella strains in Africa. The estimates could be harnessed to develop a mismatch-amplification mutation-assay for the detection of FQ-resistant strains in Africa.