Prevalence, risk factors, and rifampicin resistance pattern of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> in Sekota town, Northwest Ethiopia

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally, particularly in developing countries. However, in some parts of Ethiopia there is limited information on the prevalence, associated risk factors and the level of drug resistant TB. Therefore, this study aimed to determine TB prevalence, identify associated risk factors, and assess rifampicin resistance in Sekota Town, northwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2023 at Tefera Hailu Memorial Hospital in Sekota town. Morning sputum and fine needle aspirate samples from pulmonary and extrapulmonary cases, respectively, were collected from 422 individuals who visited the hospital during the study period, and the samples were tested for Mycobacterium tuberculosis using the GeneXpert MTB/RIF molecular assay. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data. Results The overall prevalence of all forms of TB in this study was 19.90 %. Of the overall TB cases, 52.4 % were pulmonary (EPTB), whereas 47.6 % were extra-pulmonary (PTB). Among TB positive cases, the prevalence of rifampicin resistant TB was determined to be 2.4 %. Students (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.66; 95 % CI: 1.11-19.61), pastoralists (AOR = 2.75; 95 % CI: 1.19-6.33), and merchants (AOR = 13.96; 95 % CI: 1.20-162.40) had higher odds of TB infection. Regular alcohol consumption (AOR = 2.62; 95 % CI: 1.10-6.24) and contact with TB patients (AOR = 3.95; 95 % CI: 2.02-7.33) were associated with increased odds of TB infection. HIV sero-positives and those over the age of 45 years were also found to be more likely to be infected with TB. The prevalence of rifampicin-resistant TB among confirmed cases was 2.4 %. Conclusion The study revealed a high prevalence of TB, with risk factors including HIV infection, alcohol use, contact with TB patients, and high-risk occupational and social groups such as students, merchants, and pastoralists. Targeted TB prevention and control efforts focusing on these high-risk populations are needed to reduce the disease burden in the study area.