Immunological values for 562 factory workers from Wonji, Ethiopia, a sugar estate 114 km southeast of the capital city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, were compared to values for 218 subjects from Akaki, Ethiopia, a suburb of Addis Ababa, for whom partial data were previously published. The following markers were measured: lymphocytes, T cells, B cells, NK cells, CD4⁺T cells, and CD8⁺T cells. A more in depth comparison was also made between Akaki and Wonji subjects. For this purpose, various differentiation and activation marker (CD45RA, CD27, HLA-DR, and CD38) expressions on CD4⁺and CD8⁺T cells were studied in 60 male, human immunodeficiency virus-negative subjects (30 from each site). Data were also compared with Dutch blood donor control values. The results confirmed that Ethiopians have significantly decreased CD4⁺T-cell counts and highly activated immune status, independent of the geographic locale studied. They also showed that male subjects from Akaki have significantly higher CD8⁺T-cell counts, resulting in a proportional increase in each of the CD8⁺T-cell compartments studied: naı̈ve (CD45RA⁺CD27⁺), memory (CD45RA⁻CD27⁺), cytotoxic effector (CD45RA⁺CD27⁻), memory/effector (CD45RA⁻CD27⁻), activated (HLA-DR⁺CD38⁺), and resting (HLA-DR⁻CD38⁻). No expansion of a specific functional subset was observed. Endemic infection or higher immune activation is thus not a likely cause of the higher CD8 counts in the Akaki subjects. The data confirm and extend earlier observations and suggest that, although most lymphocyte subsets are comparable between the two geographical locales, there are also differences. Thus, care should be taken in extrapolating immunological reference values from one population group to another.

Background: Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease distributed worldwide, is an infection caused by the ubiquitous obligatory intracellular coccidian protozoan organism,Toxoplasma gondii. It is a major public health concern because the disease is serious in terms of mortality or physical and /or psychological sequellae in patients with HIV disease. The aim of the study was to assess the seroprevalence ofToxoplasma gondiiIgG and IgM antibodies and associated risk factors in HIV infected and non-infected individuals attending Felege Hiwot referral hospital, Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at Felege Hiwot referral hospital, Bahir Dar, Amhara National Regional State. Venous blood samples were collected from 103 HIV infected pre anti-retroviral therapy patients at Felege Hiwot referral hospital and 101 HIV negative apparently healthy voluntary blood donors at the blood bank. Serum samples were analyzed for anti-Toxoplasma gondiiIgG and IgM antibodies using a commercially available ELISA kit. Socio-demographic and associated risk factors forToxoplasmosisfrom each individual were also obtained and the data was analyzed using SPSS version 18.Results: Of the examined HIV seropositive individuals, 87.4% (90/103) and 10.7% (11/103) were positive for anti-T.gondiiIgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression showed that anti-T. gondiiseropositivity was independently significantly associated with undercooked or raw meat consumption (adjusted OR=5.73, 95% CI=1.35-24.39; P=0.02) and having contact with cat (adjusted OR= 4.29, 95% CI=1.08-16.94; P=0.04) in HIV positive individuals. In HIV negative apparently healthy blood donors, prevalence of anti-T. gondiiantibodies were 70.29% and 2.97% for IgG and IgM, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that undercooked or raw meat consumption (adjusted OR=6.45, 95% CI=2.16-19.28; p=0.001) and sex (OR=6.79, 95% CI=2.14-21.60; p=0.001) were independently significantly associated with anti-T. gondiiIgG seropositivity, with a significantly higher number of males affected than females.Conclusion: The present findings showed a high sero-prevalence of anti-T. gondiiantibodies in HIV infected pre-ART and HIV non-infected apparently healthy blood donors in Bahir Dar. Consumption of undercooked or raw meat might greatly contribute towards acquiringT. gondiiinfection in HIV infected pre-ART and HIV non-infected apparently healthy blood donors. It may be appropriate to include routine serological screening test for determination of anti-T. gondiiantibodies in HIV infected pre-ART individuals and HIV negative apparently healthy blood donors. In addition, health education towards avoiding eating undercooked and raw meat, and avoiding contact with cats were recommended.

Background. Healthcare activities restore health and save lives at the same time; however, they can generate hazardous biomedical wastes to a human being or the environment. Generation and disposal of biomedical wastes have become an emerging problem worldwide. Objective. To assess knowledge, attitude, and practice about biomedical waste management and associated factors among healthcare professionals in Debre Markos town healthcare facilities, northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was employed, and data were collected through structured self-administered questionnaire and observational checklist. Data were entered into the Epi-data 3.1 software and exported into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed. Variables with a P value of <0.05 in the multivariate logistic regression analysis were considered to explain the presence of statistically significant associations. Result. Among 296 healthcare professionals studied, 168 (56.8%), 196 (66.2%), and 229 (77.4%) had adequate knowledge, favorable attitude, and adequate practice score, respectively. Regarding associated factors, MSc and MD⁺ (AOR: 4, 95% CI: (1.37, 149.52)), BSc holders (AOR: 2.53, 95% CI: (1.47, 4.38)), and availability of color-coded bins (AOR: 7.68, 95% CI: (3.30, 17.89)) were identified more likely to contribute for adequate knowledge, favorable attitude, and adequate practice scores, respectively. Conclusion. The level of knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were not satisfactory. Majority of the healthcare professionals did not access biomedical waste management training. Educational level, use of visual aid, and availability of color-coded bins in the department were identified as a factor for biomedical waste management. Regular training should be given to healthcare professionals.

To study the prevalence and risk factors for HIV infection among sex workers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Cross-sectional survey on socio-demographic characteristics, behaviours, and HIV serological status of sex workers attending two health centres of Addis Ababa. HIV prevalence among sex workers was 274 of 372 (73.7%). Several factors were significantly associated with an increased risk of being HIV-infected [among others, working in ‘shared rooms', high number of clients, use of injectable hormones, and positive Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) serology], and others with a decreased risk (being born in Addis Ababa, high level of education, peer education on sex work, condom use, use of oral pill, and use of condoms for contraception). Of interest, sex workers who were using condoms for contraception were, compared with others, more likely to use condoms consistently (65 versus 24%, respectively;P < 0.001), and less likely to be HIV-infected (55 versus 86%, respectively;P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis [log-binomial model, giving estimates of the prevalence ratio (PR)], being born in Addis Ababa (PR = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.61–0.91), using condoms for contraception (PR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.64–0.85), and a positive TPPA serology (PR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.09–1.36), remained significantly associated with HIV infection. HIV prevalence was remarkably high among sex workers of Addis Ababa. Condom use was higher, and HIV prevalence lower, in sex workers using condoms not only for prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, but also for contraceptive purpose. This finding is of particular interest for its implications for prevention strategies among sex workers in the developing world.