Seroepidemiological Survey of Selected Arboviruses in Humans and Cattle in Gambella Regional State, South Western Ethiopia
| dc.contributor.advisor | Prof. Gezahegn Mamo, Dr. Mengistu Legesse | |
| dc.contributor.author | Getahun, Asebe | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-03-15T09:01:41Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-08T11:38:15Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-03-15T09:01:41Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-08T11:38:15Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021-06 | |
| dc.description | PhD Thesis | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | In the past half a century, the emergence and re-emergence of arboviral diseases have occurred in many parts of the world challenging animal and human health. Some of the arboviruses menacing the public and animal health include Zika virus (ZIKV), Yellow fever virus (YFV), Dengue fever virus (DFV), Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), and West Nile virus (WNV) in many parts of the world. Ethiopia shares borders with South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, and Kenya, where most of the above-mentioned arboviral diseases are known to be endemic. The free movement of animals and humans across the borders potentially increases the spread of these diseases. Gambella Regional States, the current study location, shares a long border area with South Sudan, which increases the importation of diseases with livestock, wild animals, and the transhumance that travel across different countries up to Gambella. Therefore, the objectives of the study were 1)To estimate the seroprevalence of RVFV and WNV in cattle in Lare district, 2) To estimate the seroprevalence of YFV, ZIKV, and CHIKV in humans in two districts (Lare and Itang special districts) and; 3) To assess the awareness of the community about arboviruses in selected districts (Lare and Itang special districts) of Gambella Regional state, south west Ethiopia. An indirect Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) for YFV, CHIKV, WNV, and RVFV and Blockade-of-binding ELISA for ZIKV methods were used for the seroprevalence studies. A total of 368 cattle serum samples were collected and screened for seroprevalence study of RVF and WNF from the Lare district on the border of South Sudan and measured the presence of IgG antibody against viruses‘ infections using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Hence, the obtained seroprevalence of anti-RVF and anti-WNF virus IgG vi antibodies was 7.6% (95% CI: 5.3-10.82%), and 5.4% (95% CI: 3.52-8.29%) respectively. During the analysis, a higher seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to RVF virus infection was observed compared to the WNF virus in cattle. There was no significant association between the prevalence and the cattle age, sex, or sampled sub districts. The community-based cross-sectional seroprevalence survey, which was conducted between late October 2018 and mid-June 2019, screened for YFV, CHIKV, and ZIKV infections. The serum samples were screened for IgG antibodies to YFV and CHIKV infections using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and ZIKV infection using a specific IgG antibody with a Blockade-of-binding ELISA. Hence, a total of 150 individuals (96 males and 54 females, age ranging from 18 to 65 years, mean age ± SD = 35.92 ± 10.99 years) participated. Among the 150 samples 135, 90, and 150 were screened for YFV, CHIKV, and ZKV, respectively. The results showed that 4(2.9%), 14 (15.6%), and 41 (27.3%) samples were tested positive for IgG antibodies to YFV, CHIKV, and ZIKV infections, respectively. Agro pastoral occupation was a factor significantly associated with a high seroprevalence of IgG against CHIKV infection (AOR=14.17; 95%CI: 2.30- 87.30). Residency in the Lare district (AOR=11; 95%CI: 3.31, 39.81), being female (AOR=4.7; 95% CI: 1.62, 14.64), and pastoralist by occupation (AOR=5.1; 95% CI: 1.44-17.80) were found to be significantly associated with a high seroprevalence of IgG antibody to ZIKV infection. A community and health facility-based qualitative study involving 11 focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members and two FGDs with health workers was conducted from November 2017 to January 2018. A total of 122 community members and 16 health workers participated in the arbovirus community awareness study. In this study, all the discussants mentioned malaria, typhoid fever, unknown cause of diarrhea, and skin diseases as the major public health problems in the area. Using pictures of Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes, all participants confirmed that both mosquitoes are present in the area. They identified Anopheles as the vector of malaria. However, community discussants could not mention the name of a disease that can be transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes though they mentioned that Aedes mosquito bites both humans and animals during daytime in forest areas and causes skin itching to humans. On the other hand, community participants from the Pagag, a village bordering South Sudan, expressed a concern that Aedes mosquitoes can vii cause a malaria-like disease, which can kill within a few days. Health workers from Itang health center described that in 2016, an outbreak of unknown disease which causes fever and jaundice occurred and killed seven individuals in a village called Akula, which is closer to a South Sudan refugee camp. In conclusion, the findings showed that community members and health workers in the area do not have adequate information on mosquito-borne viral diseases. On the other hand, the detection of IgG antibodies to RVF, WNF, YFV, CHIKV, and ZIKV virus infections in the Gambella region warrants further study of active case findings and the dynamics of transmission. Creating awareness, improving laboratory services, strengthening the surveillance system would be important to design appropriate public and veterinary health interventions to reduce the risk of future outbreaks, early warning and preparedness in the present study area would be important. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/30605 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.subject | Arboviruses | en_US |
| dc.subject | seroprevalence | en_US |
| dc.subject | community awareness, | en_US |
| dc.subject | Gambella, Ethiopia | en_US |
| dc.title | Seroepidemiological Survey of Selected Arboviruses in Humans and Cattle in Gambella Regional State, South Western Ethiopia | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |