Browsing by Author "G/libanos, Ghidey"

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    Ethiopian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (EFELT Compiled Body of Works in Field Epidemiology
    (Addis Ababa University, 2011-02) G/libanos, Ghidey; Luce, Richar(Dr.); Addissie, Adamu(Dr.)
    Background A liver disease of unknown etiology which is characterized by epigastric pain, fever, jaundice, nasal bleeding, peripheral edema and abdominal swelling progressing to ascites with high morbidity and mortality reported among humans in six districts of the North-Western Zone of Tigray, Ethiopia since April 2002- 2010. This surveillance data analysis and outbreak/epidemic investigation was thus, aimed at describing the magnitude of unidentified liver disease by person, place and time for recommending possible preventive and control intervention strategies to the disease. Methods Study is conducted in North-Western Zone, Tigray region, Ethiopia. A line list was collected and case register log books of the districts were reviewed. Case definition was set based on the symptoms and signs of the disease to identify cases. Surveillance secondary data of all six districts of the Zone prepared in a line list was reviewed, entered and analyzed in Microsoft Excel. Results A total of 736 cases and 247 deaths were reported from April 2002 to June 2010, with an attack rate of 0.1% and case fatality rate of 33.5%. The median age of cases was 18 years which ranged between 1 and 81 years old. Age group of 5-14 accounted 32.7% (241/736). Sixty percent of total cases and 63% of deaths were males. Out of a total of 124 kebeles in these six districts 39 (31%) reported cases of unidentified liver disease to date. Conclusion and Recommendation Majority of cases affected by the disease were in the age group of 5-14, and with a higher proportion of male cases. Further research has to be employed in the area. Documents on how well cases were managed should be sought at all relevant health facilities to evaluate the the previous management of cases in order to recommend better future case management approaches.