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Relapsing Fever Outbreak Investigation in Bahir-Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Received: 9 June 2014     Accepted: 18 June 2014     Published: 30 June 2014
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Abstract

Introduction: Ethiopia is the main endemic focus of louse borne relapsing fever. Borrelia recurrentis is the etiologic agent for louse-borne relapsing fever and occurs as epidemic under conditions of poor socio economic status, overcrowding, poverty, draught and famine. Methods: Unmatched community based case control and descriptive cross sectional investigation were conducted. All patients from 15 October-15 November 2012 were included. Sixty eight patients matched with 136 controls that had no previous history of relapsing fever living in the same village. Study was conducted in in households with individuals who go to work on a daily basis and data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Epi-Info version 7.1.0.6.Results: Among all confirmed patients 100% (68), 92.6% (63), 94.1% (64) and 82.3% (56) presented with fever, head ache, chills and vomiting respectively. There was no death during the outbreak. Mean age of respondents was 21 years and their median age was 20 years (SD 7.14). Statistically significant associations were observed between 51 (75%) patients and 27.2% (37) controls who did wash their clothes at least weekly (AOR = 13.23, 95% CI [5.51-31.75]) and 79.4% (54) patients and 64% (87) controls who did not take body bath at least weakly (AOR = 8.01, 95%CI [3.51-18.29]) and the associations were statistically significant. Those not washing clothes and taking baths at least weekly had a 13 and 8 fold likelihood of acquiring relapsing fever compared to those who wash clothes and take baths respectively at least on a weekly basis. Conclusion: Poor personal hygiene was contributed to the outbreak. The outbreak was contained due to prompt interventions taken and strong preventive measures were recommended to prevent emergence of future outbreak of relapsing fever.

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16
Page(s) 284-287
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2014. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Borrelia recurrentis, Relapsing Fever, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

References
[1] Schwan TG, Burgdorfer W, Rosa PA, Borrelia. Washing-ton DC: ASM Press, 1995: 626-35
[2] Kasper B. Fau-ci, Hauser L. Jamesa. Harrison’s principles of internal medicine: 16th edition, McGraw-Hill medical publishing division; 2005.
[3] Epidemiology and Ecology of Health and Disease in Ethiopia.
[4] Worku L., Solo-mon G. Louse-borne relapsing fever pro-file.
[5] Rebaudet S, Parola P. Epidemiology of re-lapsing fever and Borreliosis in Europe. FEMS Immunol-ogy and Med Microbiology. 2006 Oct; 48(1):11-5.
[6] David L.Heymann. Control of Communicable Diseases manual.
[7] Characteristics of louse-borne relapsing fever in Ethiopian children and adults.
[8] Jose M. Ramos, Eduaro M., Francisco R., Abraham T. Louse borne relapsing fever in Ethiopian children: Experience of a rural hospital.
[9] G Barbour, MD Microbiology, pathogenesis, and epidemi-ology of relapsing fever.
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  • APA Style

    Addisu Workineh Kassa, Amelework Getnet Alene, Tilahun Belete Mosie. (2014). Relapsing Fever Outbreak Investigation in Bahir-Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Science Journal of Public Health, 2(4), 284-287. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16

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    ACS Style

    Addisu Workineh Kassa; Amelework Getnet Alene; Tilahun Belete Mosie. Relapsing Fever Outbreak Investigation in Bahir-Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Sci. J. Public Health 2014, 2(4), 284-287. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16

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    AMA Style

    Addisu Workineh Kassa, Amelework Getnet Alene, Tilahun Belete Mosie. Relapsing Fever Outbreak Investigation in Bahir-Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Sci J Public Health. 2014;2(4):284-287. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16,
      author = {Addisu Workineh Kassa and Amelework Getnet Alene and Tilahun Belete Mosie},
      title = {Relapsing Fever Outbreak Investigation in Bahir-Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {284-287},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20140204.16},
      abstract = {Introduction: Ethiopia is the main endemic focus of louse borne relapsing fever. Borrelia recurrentis is the etiologic agent for louse-borne relapsing fever and occurs as epidemic under conditions of poor socio economic status, overcrowding, poverty, draught and famine. Methods: Unmatched community based case control and descriptive cross sectional investigation were conducted. All patients from 15 October-15 November 2012 were included. Sixty eight patients matched with 136 controls that had no previous history of relapsing fever living in the same village. Study was conducted in in households with individuals who go to work on a daily basis and data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel  and Epi-Info version 7.1.0.6.Results: Among  all confirmed patients 100% (68), 92.6% (63), 94.1% (64) and 82.3% (56) presented with fever, head ache, chills and vomiting respectively. There was no death during the outbreak. Mean age of respondents was 21 years and their median age was 20 years (SD 7.14). Statistically significant associations were observed between 51 (75%) patients and 27.2% (37) controls who did wash their clothes at least weekly (AOR = 13.23, 95% CI [5.51-31.75]) and 79.4% (54) patients and 64% (87) controls who did not take body bath at least weakly (AOR = 8.01, 95%CI [3.51-18.29]) and the associations were statistically significant. Those not washing clothes and taking baths at least weekly had a 13 and 8 fold likelihood of acquiring relapsing fever compared to those who wash clothes and take baths respectively at least on a weekly basis. Conclusion: Poor personal hygiene was contributed to the outbreak. The outbreak was contained due to prompt interventions taken and strong preventive measures were recommended to prevent emergence of future outbreak of relapsing fever.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Relapsing Fever Outbreak Investigation in Bahir-Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
    AU  - Addisu Workineh Kassa
    AU  - Amelework Getnet Alene
    AU  - Tilahun Belete Mosie
    Y1  - 2014/06/30
    PY  - 2014
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16
    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16
    T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
    SP  - 284
    EP  - 287
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7950
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.16
    AB  - Introduction: Ethiopia is the main endemic focus of louse borne relapsing fever. Borrelia recurrentis is the etiologic agent for louse-borne relapsing fever and occurs as epidemic under conditions of poor socio economic status, overcrowding, poverty, draught and famine. Methods: Unmatched community based case control and descriptive cross sectional investigation were conducted. All patients from 15 October-15 November 2012 were included. Sixty eight patients matched with 136 controls that had no previous history of relapsing fever living in the same village. Study was conducted in in households with individuals who go to work on a daily basis and data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel  and Epi-Info version 7.1.0.6.Results: Among  all confirmed patients 100% (68), 92.6% (63), 94.1% (64) and 82.3% (56) presented with fever, head ache, chills and vomiting respectively. There was no death during the outbreak. Mean age of respondents was 21 years and their median age was 20 years (SD 7.14). Statistically significant associations were observed between 51 (75%) patients and 27.2% (37) controls who did wash their clothes at least weekly (AOR = 13.23, 95% CI [5.51-31.75]) and 79.4% (54) patients and 64% (87) controls who did not take body bath at least weakly (AOR = 8.01, 95%CI [3.51-18.29]) and the associations were statistically significant. Those not washing clothes and taking baths at least weekly had a 13 and 8 fold likelihood of acquiring relapsing fever compared to those who wash clothes and take baths respectively at least on a weekly basis. Conclusion: Poor personal hygiene was contributed to the outbreak. The outbreak was contained due to prompt interventions taken and strong preventive measures were recommended to prevent emergence of future outbreak of relapsing fever.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Public Health Emergency Management, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

  • Public Health Emergency Management, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

  • Felegehiwot Referral Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

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