Berhanu Erko

Addis Ababa University | AAU · Aklilu Lema Institute of Pathobiology

Background Helminthiasis and malaria prevail in developing countries including Ethiopia, where they claim lives, retard physical and mental growth, reduce productivity and contain economic growth. Implementing helminthiasis and malaria control strategies require adequate knowledge and practices of the affected communities. Knowledge and practices o...

Background/Objectives: Praziquantel is a cornerstone of schistosomiasis control and elimination efforts. Continued surveillance of praziquantel efficacy is needed to monitor for the development of resistance, as well as to help public health officials gauge the effect of mass praziquantel administration on schistosomiasis control in communities, si...

Background This study compared the clinical sensitivity and the time-to-result of an individual testing (IT) and a cascaded pooled testing approach (CPT; a positive test result in a pooled sample triggers examination of smaller-sized pools or individual samples) for assessing the prevalence and the intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infection. We...

As 2030 approaches, the World Health Organization's due date for ending intestinal schistosomiasis as a public health problem in all endemic areas, understanding the current trends in the burden of Schistosomiasis among schoolchildren in endemic areas is critical for monitoring the progress, identifying areas for improvement, and developing strateg...

Malaria and intestinal helminth infections are significant public health challenges in Ethiopia. However, little is known about the relationship of Plasmodium and intestinal helminth infections in pregnancy with maternal anemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes. A health-facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 526 parturients in north...

Urine filtration microscopy (UFM) lacks sensitivity in detecting low-intensity Schistosoma haematobium infections. In pursuit of a superior alternative, this study evaluated the performance of FlukeCatcher microscopy (FCM) at detecting S. haematobium eggs in human urine samples. Urine samples were collected from 572 school-age children in Afar, Eth...

ABSTRACT: This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Metehara town community towards bat-borne diseases, where a novel coronavirus has recently been reported among cave bats in the area. A cross- sectional study was carried out between April 2021 and June 2021 among randomly selected individuals in the community. Data were collected...

Background Knowledge about community awareness and practices related to a disease, among other things, helps to plan relevant control strategies. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of the community in Abobo district of Gambella Regional State in Southwestern Ethiopia about urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS), which is en...

Background Pregnant women have an increased risk of Plasmodium infections and disease. Malaria in pregnancy is a major public health problem in endemic areas. Assessment of the burden and risk factors of malaria in pregnancy across different malaria transmission settings is required to guide control strategies and for malaria elimination. Thus, the...

Ethiopia has the greatest burden of Plasmodium vivax in Africa, but little is known about the epidemiological landscape of parasites across the country. We analysed the genomic diversity of 137 P. vivax isolates collected nine Ethiopian districts from 2012 to 2016. Signatures of selection were detected by cross-country comparisons with isolates fro...

Ethiopia has the greatest burden of Plasmodium vivax in Africa, but little is known about the epidemiological landscape of parasites across the country. We analysed the genomic diversity of 137 P. vivax isolates collected nine Ethiopian districts from 2012-16. Signatures of selection were detected by cross-country comparisons with isolates from Tha...

Background Malaria, transmitted by the bite of infective female Anopheles mosquitoes, remains a global public health problem. The presence of invasive Anopheles stephensi, capable of transmitting Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, was first reported in Ethiopia in 2016. The ecology of this mosquito species differs from that of Anopheles ar...

Background In the Somali region of Ethiopia, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a public health concern. However, VL epidemiology and sand fly vectors have not been well studied in various areas of the regional state, including Denan district. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the sero-prevalence, associated factors, and distribution of...

Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) affects 25% of the population living in the highlands of Ethiopia. CL intervention has not decreased the number of leishmaniasis patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine CL prevalence, community’s knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP), and the sand fly fauna in Kutaber district, northeas...

Background: Schistosomiasis is a highly prevalent but neglected tropical disease, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, urogenital schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma haematobium has been known to be endemic in several lowland areas. This study was designed to determine the current prevalence and intensity of the urogenital schistosomias...

Background: Malaria, transmitted by the bite of infective female Anopheles mosquitoes, remains a global public health problem. The presence of invasive Anopheles stephensi, capable of transmitting Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum, was first reported in Ethiopia in 2016. The ecology of this mosquito species differs from that of An. arabiensis, the...

Background Malaria, transmitted by the bite of infective female Anopheles mosquitoes, remains a global public health problem. The presence of an invasive Anopheles stephensi, capable of transmitting Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum parasites was first reported in Ethiopia in 2016. The ecology of An. stephensi is different from that of Ano...

We describe the MalariaGEN Pf7 data resource, the seventh release of Plasmodium falciparum genome variation data from the MalariaGEN network. It comprises over 20,000 samples from 82 partner studies in 33 countries, including several malaria endemic regions that were previously underrepresented. For the first time we include dried blood spot sample...

We describe the MalariaGEN Pf7 data resource, the seventh release of Plasmodium falciparum genome variation data from the MalariaGEN network. It comprises over 20,000 samples from 82 partner studies in 33 countries, including several malaria endemic regions that were previously underrepresented. For the first time we include dried blood spot sample...

We describe the MalariaGEN Pf7 data resource, the seventh release of Plasmodium falciparum genome variation data from the MalariaGEN network. It comprises over 20,000 samples from 82 partner studies in 33 countries, including several malaria endemic regions that were previously underrepresented. For the first time we include dried blood spot sample...

Background: In the Somali region of Ethiopia, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a public health concern. Yet, epidemiology and sand fly vectors of VL were not well studied in various areas of the regional state. Thus, the current study was conducted to determine the sero-prevalence, associated factors and distribution sand fly vectors of VL in Denan d...

The performance of the urine reagent strips (URS) in detecting the presence and estimating the intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infection was evaluated using urine filtration microscopy as a reference standard. Urine samples collected from 1288 school-age children living in five villages of the Afar and one village in the Gambella Regional Stat...

Abstract Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that disproportionately affects the poorest people in tropical and subtropical countries. It is a major parasitic disease causing considerable morbidity in Ethiopia. Despite significant control efforts, schistosomiasis transmission is still widespread in many rural areas of the country. The a...

Background: Malaria, transmitted by the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, remains a global public health problem. The presence of an invasive Anopheles stephensi, capable of transmitting Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum parasites was first reported in Ethiopia in 2016. The ecology of An. stephensi is different from that of An. arabien...

Introduction Urogenital schistosomiasis is one of public health problems in lowland areas of Ethiopia. The disease is caused by Schistosoma haematobium. Freshwater Bulinus snails are intermediate hosts for the parasite transmission. The aim of the study was to assess intermediate host snails of urogenital schistosomiasis, human water contact behavi...

Background Urogenital schistosomiasis has been known to be endemic in several lowland areas of Ethiopia. It is caused by Schistosoma haematobium and causes considerable public health problems to schoolchildren. Ethiopia, after mapping the distribution of the disease (2013 to 2015), launched school-based mass deworming program to treat schoolchildre...

This study examined the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminth infections and their association with anemia, undernutrition, and academic performance among school children in Maksegnit, northwestern Ethiopia. A total of 1205 school children, who attended Maksegnit Number Two Elementary School between May and July 2021, participated in this...

Background Reliable and field-applicable diagnosis of schistosome infections in non-human animals is important for surveillance, control, and verification of interruption of human schistosomiasis transmission. This study aimed to summarize uses of available diagnostic techniques through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methodology and princi...

This report describes the MalariaGEN Pv4 dataset, a new release of curated genome variation data on 1,895 samples of Plasmodium vivax collected at 88 worldwide locations between 2001 and 2017. It includes 1,370 new samples contributed by MalariaGEN and VivaxGEN partner studies in addition to previously published samples from these and other sources...

Background In the current study area, the burden of morbidities associated with S. mansoni, soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), asymptomatic malaria, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and co-infection has not been known for the last 20 years. This necessitated a systematic investigation of the status of these infections and their associated mor...

Abstract Background Schistosomiasis and fascioliasis are digenean parasitic infections and are among the neglected tropical diseases that have both medical and veterinary importance. They are found mainly in areas having limited access to safe water supply and improved sanitation. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the preva...

Background In Ethiopia, schistosomiasis is caused by Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium with the former being widespread and more than 4 million people are estimated to be infected by S. mansoni annually with 35 million at risk of infection. Although many school- and community-based epidemiological surveys were conducted over the past decades,...

In Ethiopia, human schistosomiasis is caused by two species of schistosome, Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium, with the former being dominant in the country, causing infections of more than 5 million people and more than 37 million at risk of infection. What is more, new transmission foci for S. mansoni have been reported over the past years i...

MalariaGEN is a data-sharing network that enables groups around the world to work together on the genomic epidemiology of malaria. Here we describe a new release of curated genome variation data on 7,000 Plasmodium falciparum samples from MalariaGEN partner studies in 28 malaria-endemic countries. High-quality genotype calls on 3 million single nuc...

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health threat causing the highest morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia. However, there is shortage of information on the species and strains of mycobacteria that cause TB in Ethiopia. The objective of this study is to investigate the diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) isolated from TB pati...

Background Understanding the health behavior of the target population is crucial for sustainable schistosomiasis control. The aim of this study was to assess schistosomiasis related levels of knowledge, attitude, and practices of communities in lowland areas of western Ethiopia, where schistosomiasis is endemic. Methods A community-based multileve...

Background Reliable and field-applicable diagnosis of schistosome infections in non-human animals is important for surveillance, control, and verification of interruption of human schistosomiasis transmission. This study aimed to summarize uses of available diagnostic techniques through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods and principal f...

Background Tuberculosis is a devastating and a deadly disease despite the novel advances in its diagnostic tools and drug therapy. Drug resistant Mycobacterium contributes a great share to tuberculosis mortality. Status of drug resistance and patients’ awareness toward the disease is unknown in northeastern Ethiopia. Thus, the aim of this study was...

Background Schistosoma constitutes a major public health problem and developmental challenges in the majority of developing and subtropical regions. The World Health Organization has set guidelines for the control and elimination of schistosomiasis. Ethiopia is providing school-based Mass Drug Administration (MDA) at the study areas of the Abbey an...

MalariaGEN is a data-sharing network that enables groups around the world to work together on the genomic epidemiology of malaria. Here we describe a new release of curated genome variation data on 7,000 Plasmodium falciparum samples from MalariaGEN partner studies in 28 malaria-endemic countries. High-quality genotype calls on 3 million single nuc...

Background Tuberculosis is a devastating and a deadly disease despite the novel advances in its diagnostic tools and drug therapy. Drug resistant Mycobacterium contributes a great share to tuberculosis mortality. Status of drug resistance and patients’ awareness toward the disease is unknown in northeastern Ethiopia. Thus, the aim of this study was...

Monitoring the efficacy of anthelminthic drugs is essential. The objective of this studywas to assess the efficacy of a single oral dose of 400 mg albendazole (ABZ) against the major soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection in school children, Wondo Genet, southern Ethiopia. A single fresh stool sample was collected from 298 school children and ex...

Anemia and intestinal helminth infections are overlapping health problems in developing countries. This study examined the determinants of intestinal helminth infection and anemia in a human population in Harbu Town, northeastern Ethiopia. A total of 484 individuals provided stool and blood samples as well as information about their sociodemographi...

Background Schistosomiasis is a chronic parasitic disease, that affects over 207 million people and causes over 200,000 deaths annually, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Although many health measures have been carried out to limit parasite transmission, significant numbers of non-human primates such as Chlorocebus aethiops (Ch. aethiops) (vervet) and...

In Ethiopia where malaria parasite and co endemic, the general population is quite vulnerable both to malaria and Schistosoma mansoni infections singly and concomitantly. However, data about the prevalence of malaria-Sch reciprocal parasitological and clinical effects are lacking.The aim of this study was to assess the reciprocal effects of malaria...

Background Schistosoma mansoni, causing intestinal schistosomiasis, is widely distributed in Ethiopia and new transmission foci are continually reported. Here we report new transmission sites and prevalence of S.mansoni infection among school children in Yachi areas, southwestern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among schoo...

Abstract Background Reports of natural infections of Schistosoma mansoni in a number of species of nonhuman primates (NHPs) in Africa, coupled with the substantial overlap of NHP habitats and human schistosomiasis endemic areas, has led to concerns about the role of NHPs in the transmission of human schistosomiasis. We conducted a systematic review...

Background: Tuberculosis and parasitosis are the widely distributed diseases in Ethiopia with the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, respectively. There has been no information on the status of co-infections of tuberculosis and parasitosis in Oromia Zone of Amhara Region and South Wollo, Ethiopia. Hence, this study primarily focuses on dete...

Background: It is estimated that over a third of the world population is infected by malaria and helminthiases mainly among communities with high poverty indices. The distribution of these parasitic infections overlaps in many epidemiological settings and have varying outcomes in the host. In this paper we report the prevalence of malaria and inte...

Objective: To assess Schistosoma mansoni and other intestinal parasitic infections in schoolchildren and vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) in Bochessa Village, Ziway, Ethiopia. Results: Fecal specimens from selected schoolchildren and droppings of the vervet monkeys were collected and microscopically examined for intestinal parasites using t...

Background & objectives: The transmission of schistosomiasis, caused by trematodes of the genus Schistosoma, relies on freshwater snails that act as an intermediate host while human and other mammalian act as the definitive hosts. Many non-human primates (NHPs) such as Chlorocebus aethiops (vervet) and Papio anubis (baboon) are reported to be infec...

After publication of the original article [1], it came to the authors' attention that the primers mentioned in Table 1 for the amplification of the pvcrt-o gene of Plasmodium vivax are not the ones actually used for the experiments. The correct primers and PCR product size are as below.

Following publication of the original article [1] the authors reported that the information in Ref. [32] had been misquoted. The Rh factor in one region in Saudi Arabia is 8.8%, not 29% as stated.

Background: In this cross-sectional study, we compared the performance of Mini Parasep® solvent-free (SF) faecal parasite concentrator, Kato-Katz thick smear and McMaster techniques for the diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections among children in Wosha Soyama Primary School, Ethiopia. Methods: Stool samples were collected from 381 children...

Background Knowledge of the distribution of ABO-Rh(D) blood groups in a locality is vital for safe blood services. However, the distribution of these blood systems among Ethiopians in general is little explored. This study was, therefore, designed to determine the ABO-Rh(D) blood group distribution among patients attending Gambella hospital, southw...

Background Cryptosporidium and Giardia duodenalis are gastro-intestinal parasites that infect human and animals worldwide. Both parasites share a broad host range and are believed to be zoonosis. The aim of this study was to identify the species of Cryptosporidium and assemblages of G. duodenalis in lambs and to elucidate their role in zoonotic tra...

Background: In this cross-sectional study, we compared the performance of Mini Parasep ® solvent-free (SF) faecal parasite concentrator, Kato-Katz thick smear and McMaster techniques for the diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections among children in Wosha Soyama Primary School, Ethiopia. Methods: Stool samples were collected from 381 children a...

Background It has been suggested that Schistosoma infection may be associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection or related reduction in haemoglobin level, but the nature of this interaction remains unclear. This systematic review synthesized evidence on the relationship of S. haematobium or S. mansoni infection with the occurrence of P. falcipar...

PRISMA checklist. (DOC)