Foodborne diseases, resulting from poor food handling and sanitation practices, are common public health problems globally. The primary contributing factors to potential foodborne disease outbreaks are often attributed to the poor perception and practices of food handlers regarding food safety. This study is aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practices of food handlers working in public food service establishments in Lemi Kura subcity, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2022 to September 2023, involving 400 food handlers from 20 randomly selected public food service establishments. Data were collected using a structured interview-administered questionnaire and an observational checklist. The collected data were entered into Microsoft Excel and then transferred to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the data, and Pearson’s chi-square test was used to evaluate the association of sociodemographic factors with the knowledge, attitude, and practices of food handlers towards food safety. Of the 400 food handlers, 65.5% had good knowledge about food safety. All food handlers were knowledgeable that washing hand before handling food will reduce risk of poisoning, bacteria are the main cause of food poisoning, and temperature plays a big role in bacterial growth. This study also revealed that 65.3% of the food handlers had good attitude towards food safety and 55.3% of food handlers had good food handling practice. Based on the observation, 38.5% of food handlers had good food handling practice. Taking training, age, and work experience of food handlers have statistically significant ( ) association with good attitude towards food safety. Additionally, taking training, educational level, employment, and work experience of food handlers have statistically significant ( ) association with good practice towards food safety. However, there was no statistically significant association between all sociodemographic factors and knowledge about food safety. Good knowledge and attitude were also associated with good food handling practices of the respondents. Based on the observation, there was a statistically significant association between employment status and good food handling practice. In conclusion, the findings suggest the necessity for implementing formal educational and training programs aimed at positively influencing the knowledge and attitude of food handlers, subsequently improving their food handling practices.

Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is a highly contagious, immunosuppressive, and oncogenic chicken pathogen causing marek’s disease (MD). In this outbreak-based study, 70 dual-purpose chickens that originated from poultry farms in Northwest Ethiopia and suspected of MD were sampled for pathological and virological study from January 2020 to June 2020. Clinically, affected chickens showed inappetence, dyspnea, depression, shrunken combs, and paralysis of legs, wings, and neck, and death. Pathologically, single or multiple greyish white to yellow tumor-like nodular lesions of various size were appreciated in visceral organs. In addition, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, renomegaly, and sciatic nerve enlargement were observed. Twenty-seven (27) pooled clinical samples i.e. 7 pooled spleen samples and 20 pooled feathers samples were aseptically collected. Confluent monolayer of Chicken Embryo Fibroblast cells was inoculated with a suspension of pathological samples. Of this, MDV-suggestive cytopathic effects were recorded in 5 (71.42%) and 17 (85%) pooled spleen and feather samples respectively. Molecular confirmation of pathogenic MDV was conducted using conventional PCR amplifying 318 bp of ICP4 gene of MDV-1, of which, 40.9% (9/22) tested positive. In addition, 5 PCR-positive samples from various farms were sequenced further confirming the identity of MDV. The ICP4 partial gene sequences were submitted to GenBank with the following accession numbers: OP485106, OP485107, OP485108, OP485109, and OP485110. Comparative phylogenetics showed, two of the isolates from the same site, Metema, seem to be clonal complexes forming distinct cluster. The other three isolates, two from Merawi and one from Debretabor, appear to represent distinct genotypes although the isolate from Debretabor is closer to the Metema clonal complex. On the other hand, the isolates from Merawi appeared genetically far related to the rest of the 3 isolates and clustered with Indian MDV strains included in the analysis. This study presented the first molecular evidence of MDV in chicken farms from Northwest Ethiopia. Biosecurity measures should strictly be implemented to hinder the spread of the virus. Nationwide studies on molecular characteristics of MDV isolates, their pathotypes, and estimation of the economic impact associated with the disease may help justify production and use of MD vaccines within the country.

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a zoonotic pathogen that exerts huge public health and economic impacts in the world. The severity of illness is mainly related to the serovars involved, the presence of virulence genes, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns. However, data are scarce on serovars, virulence genes, and AMR among NTS identified from the human-dairy interface in Northwest Ethiopia. Thus, this study investigated the serovars, common virulence genes, and AMR patterns of NTS isolates in the area. The study was conducted from June 2022 to August 2023 among randomly selected 58 dairy farms. A total of 362 samples were processed to detect NTS using standard bacteriological methods. The presumptive positive colonies were confirmed by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time-of-Flight (MALDi-ToF). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect virulence genes, including invA and spvC. A slide agglutination test according to the White-Kauffmann-Le Minor scheme was employed to identify the serovars of the NTS isolates. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Of the processed samples (362), 28 (7.7%) NTS isolates were detected. When distributed among samples, the proportions were 11.9%, 10.5%, 10.3%, 5.2%, 4.3%, and 1.7% among cows’ feces, dairy farm sewage, pooled raw milk, milk container swabs, milkers’ stool, and milkers’ hand swab samples, respectively. Six serovars were detected with the dominancy of S. Uganda (39.3%), followed by S. enterica subsp. diarizonae (25.0%) and S. Typhimurium (21.4%). Among the 28 NTS isolates, 100% and 21.4% had the virulence genes invA and spvC, respectively. The susceptibility profile showed that 89.3% of the NTS isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent and 46.4% were resistant to three or more classes of antimicrobials (multidrug-resistant). Among antimicrobials, isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin (57.1%), followed by tetracycline (42.9%) and chloramphenicol (35.7%). On the other hand, the NTS isolates were 100%, 96.4%, and 96.4% susceptible to ceftriaxone, azithromycin, and norfloxacin, respectively. In conclusion, we detected NTS from humans, dairy cows, raw milk, dairy utensils, and the environment (sewage), showing the potential of the human-dairy farm-environment nexus in the NTS circulation. These further highlight that the interface is a good point of intervention in the control and prevention of NTS infection. The susceptibility profiles of the isolate necessitate interventions including the prudent use of the antimicrobials.

Fowl cholera (FC) caused by Pasteurella multocida is among the serious infectious diseases of poultry. Currently, formalin inactivated FC (FI-FC) vaccine is widely used in Ethiopia. However, reports of the disease complaint remain higher despite the use of the vaccine. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate gamma-irradiated mucosal FC vaccines that can be used nationally. In a vaccination-challenge experiment, the performance of gamma-irradiated P. multocida (at 1 kGy) formulated with Montanide gel/01 PR adjuvant was evaluated at different dose rates (0.5 and 0.3 ml) and routes (intranasal, intraocular, and oral), in comparison with FI-FC vaccine in chicken. Chickens received three doses of the candidate vaccine at 3-week intervals. Sera, and trachea and crop lavage were collected to assess the antibody levels using indirect and sandwich ELISAs, respectively. Challenge exposure was conducted by inoculation at 3.5×10⁹ CFU/ml of P. multocida biotype A intranasally 2 weeks after the last immunization. Repeated measures ANOVA test and Kaplan Meier curve analysis were used to examine for statistical significance of antibody titers and survival analysis, respectively. Sera IgG and secretory IgA titers were significantly raised after second immunization (p=0.0001). Chicken survival analysis showed that intranasal and intraocular administration of the candidate vaccine at the dose of 0.3 ml resulted in 100% protection as compared to intramuscular injection of FI-FC vaccine, which conferred 85% protection (p=0.002). In conclusion, the results of this study showed that gamma-irradiated FC mucosal vaccine is safe and protective, indicating its potential use for immunization of chicken against FC.

Background: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute or subacute, highly contagious, and economically important, transboundary disease of small ruminants caused by Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV).Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the seroconversion rate in PPR vaccinated flock of sheep (Sekela district) and the seroprevalence of PPRV in unvaccinated flocks of sheep and goats (Yilmanadensa district).Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2022 in two selected districts of West Gojjam zone, Ethiopia. Multistage cluster sampling was used to select sampling units by successively selecting districts, kebeles, and villages purposively based on their accessibility and vaccination status. Individual animals were selected haphazardly mimicking simple random sampling. Accordingly, a total of 660 blood samples were collected. Out of this, 300 sheep were vaccinated 4 months prior to sampling using the Nigerian 75/1 strain-based freeze-dried live attenuated PPR vaccine and 360 small ruminants (288 sheep and 72 goats) were unvaccinated and assayed for anti-PPRV antibodies using commercial c-ELISA.Results: The post-vaccination herd immunity was 76.66% (95% CI: 71.46–81.34), which is slightly lower than the threshold herd immunity recommended by the PPR global control and eradication strategy, which is set to be 80%, to efficiently break the epidemiological cycle of the virus. Seroprevalence of PPRV in unvaccinated sheep and goats was 3.61% (95% CI: 1.94–6.1), indicating the possible circulation of PPRV in the area. Although small ruminants develop solid immunity following natural infection in endemic countries, the infection of naïve animals allows continuous circulation of the virus.Conclusions: In light of the accumulating evidence of low post-vaccination herd immunity in small ruminants in Ethiopia, the undergoing PPR vaccination strategy needs to be reevaluated to achieve the desired herd immunity at any time ultimately aiding the eradication goal by 2030.

Background: The intentional and illegal misrepresentation of fake medications involves falsely indicating their source. These fraudulent medications can include products that contain either accurate or incorrect ingredients, lack proper labeling, have insufficient quantities of ingredients, and are packaged with counterfeit packaging. This unlawful activity has led to treatment failures, the development of antibiotic resistance, adverse effects, and even deaths. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, practice, and regulatory status of veterinary drug experts in the central Gondar zone of Ethiopia regarding counterfeit veterinary medications. Methods: From January 2023 to July 2023, a self-administered structured questionnaire was utilized to conduct a cross-sectional study in Central Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. The analysis of the data involved the application of descriptive and chi-square tests. Results: The study revealed that the majority of professionals possessed a work experience ranging from 5 to 9 years (23; 56.1%). Additionally, a total of 25 individuals (61.0%) who participated in the research had not undergone any kind of training. It was observed that a significant proportion of participants (82.9%) possessed knowledge about counterfeit veterinary drugs. Only about 63% and 36% of respondents had high knowledge and good practice concerning veterinary counterfeit drugs, respectively. Only 29.3% of participants have reported practices. Furthermore, a poor regulatory level of coordination was detected (85.4%). The study revealed a significant (χ 2 =7.6165; p = 0.022) disparity between the respondents’ practice levels and training. Respondents’ regulatory levels were also significantly associated (p < 0.05) with their sex (χ 2 = 13.34; p = 0.001) and work experience (χ 2 = 13.64; p = 0.033). The research findings also revealed a noteworthy correlation between practice and regulatory activity (χ 2 = 15.0463; p = 0.005). Conclusion: The study outlines the necessity of awareness initiatives, with a focus on the significance of veterinary experts’ knowledge, practice, and regulatory efforts in addressing the issue of counterfeit veterinary medications.