Intensive phase treatment outcome and associated factors among patients treated for multi drug resistant tuberculosis in Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to at least Rifampicin and Isoniazid drugs. The treatment success rate for MDR-TB cases is lower than for drug susceptible TB. Globally only 55% of MDR-TB patients were successfully treated.

Throat culture positivity rate and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of beta-hemolytic streptococci in children on secondary prophylaxis for rheumatic heart disease.

Background: Among children diagnosed to have chronic rheumatic valvular heart disease (RHD) in Ethiopia, many have been observed to develop recurrence of rheumatic fever (RF) despite secondary prophylaxis. This study determined the throat culture positivity rate and drug susceptibility pattern of beta hemolytic streptococci (BHS) isolated from children attending a specialized cardiac clinic in Ethiopia.

Methods: Throat swabs were collected from 233 children receiving benzathine penicillin injection as secondary prophylaxis for RHD and cultured.

Serum antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Herpesvidae family viruses in individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: a case-control study.

Background: Recent etiological studies for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have focused on the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii and Herpesvirdae family viruses.

Objective: To determine the magnitude of T. gondii, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection in individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and healthy controls by using serologic diagnostic methods.

T cell mediated immune responses in patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis from Butajira, southern Ethiopia.

The control of tuberculosis (TB) requires improved vaccines in addition to chemotherapy. It is essential to understand the immune response in tuberculosis to successfully evaluate potential vaccines. Current investigations have focused on immune responses in pulmonary forms.

Identification of the causative organism of tuberculous lymphadenitis in ethiopia by PCR.

Unlabelled: Tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) is a common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis with multiple differential diagnoses. Demonstration of the etiologic agent by smear microscopy or culture of fine needle aspirate (FNA) specimens is often unsuccessful. FNA specimens from 40 patients presenting at a rural health center in South Ethiopia and diagnosed as positive for TBLN on the basis of clinical and cytological criteria were analyzed for mycobacterial DNA by PCR.