Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent colonizer of human and several animal species, including dairy cows. It is the most common cause of intramammary infections in dairy cows. Its public health importance increases inline to the continuous emergence of drug-resistant strains; such as Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Indeed, the recent emergence of human and veterinary adapted MRSA demands serious attention. The aim of this study was to determine the burden and drug resistance pattern of S. aureus in dairy farms in Mekelle and determine the molecular characteristics of MRSA. Results: This study was done on 385 lactating dairy cows and 71 dairy farmers. The ages of the cows and farmworkers were between 3 and 14 and 17–63 years respectively. S. aureus was isolated from 12.5% of cows and 31% of farmworkers. Highest resistance was observed for penicillin (> 90%) followed by tetracycline (32–35%) and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (10–27%). But no resistance was observed for vancomycin, daptomycin, and rifampin. Only one isolate was MRSA both phenotypically and harboring mecA. This isolate was from nasal of a farmworker and was MRSA SCCmec Iva, spa type t064 of CC8. Multi-drug resistance was observed in 6.2% of cow isolates and 13.6% of nasal isolates. Conclusions: In this study, S. aureus infected 12.5% of dairy cows and colonized 31% of farmworkers. Except for penicillin, resistance to other drugs was rare. Although no MRSA was found from dairy cows the existence of the human and animal adapted and globally spread strain, MRSA SCCmec IVa spa t064, warrants for a coordinated action to tackle AMR in both human and veterinary in the country.

Background: Because of limited infrastructure and skilled human capital, the etiology of meningitis is rarely identified in developing countries like Ethiopia. This results in unnecessary antibiotics use, economic crisis, hospitalization, and related nosocomial infections. Thus, we aimed to assess the epidemiology of human enteroviruses (HEVs) among clinically suspected meningitis cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to August 2020 at selected Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from 146 clinically suspected meningitis and bacterial culture-negative patients. SPSS v 21.0 was used for data analysis and bivariate correlation was done for the association between variables of interest. Results: HEVs were detected in 39 (26.7%) of the 146 clinically suspected meningitis cases. Most of the HEVs cases 28 (71.9%) were detected in younger-aged infants less than 1 year. The most commonly observed clinical manifestations were vomiting (75.5%) followed by fever (56.8%) and impaired consciousness or irritability (50.7%). The mean length of hospital stay for patients with enteroviral meningitis was 9 days. Many patients with HEVs were recovered with sequelae (46.2%), and HEVs has contributed for one out of the nine meningeal deaths (11.1%). Conclusions: HEVs were found to be the commonest cause of morbidity and mortality in all age groups. Many of the patients were mistreated with antibiotics and hospitalized. The detection of HEVs in 26.7% of clinically suspected meningitis cases indicated the need for molecular tests in investigating the etiology of meningitis. Therefore, we suggest the introduction of molecular tests as a routine practice in referral hospitals and the need to further characterize circulating HEVs strains.

Background: Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections are becoming difficult to treat due to the bacterium's biofilm-forming capabilities and rising resistance to multiple antibiotics, posing a growing clinical challenge. This study assessed the antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation by Escherichia coli isolates from patients at a hospital in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is a major global health threat due to its widespread distribution, ability to cause severe infections, and increasing antimicrobial resistance. It is responsible for a wide range of diseases, particularly skin and soft tissue infections, with wound infections being the most common. The emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is of significant concern. However, local data on MRSA in wound infections remain limited. This study assessed the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and associated factors of MRSA among patients with wound infections at Werabe Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (WCSH). Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2023 to February 2024 involving 384 patients with wound infections. Wound swabs or pus samples were cultured on blood agar and mannitol salt agar. Identification of S. aureus was performed using standard biochemical tests, while MRSA detection used the cefoxitin disk diffusion method following CLSI guidelines. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, entered into Epi-info, and analyzed with SPSS. Logistic regression identified associations, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results: Of 384 participants, 90 (23.4%) had S. aureus; of which 24 (26.7%) were MRSA. Most S. aureus isolates (87.8%) and all MRSA were resistant to penicillin but fully sensitive to linezolid. All MRSA and 31.1% of S. aureus isolates were multidrug resistant. Hospital stay > 72 hours was significantly associated with MRSA (AOR = 3.06, p = 0.031). Conclusions: There is a notable prevalence of MRSA with high multidrug resistance. Strengthening infection control, antimicrobial stewardship, and reducing prolonged hospital stays are recommended.

Introduction: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major cause of pediatric diarrhea globally, yet its burden, molecular characteristics, and antibiotic resistance patterns remain underexplored in low-resource settings like Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the molecular detection and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of STEC among children with diarrhea in Ethiopia. Methods: ...