BackgroundSnake bite is a neglected public health problem in the world and one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in many areas, particularly in the rural tropics. It also poses substantial economic burdens on the snake bite victims due to treatment related expenditure and loss of productivity. An accurate estimate of the risk of snake bite is largely unknown for most countries in the developing world, especially South-East Asia.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe undertook a national epidemiological survey to determine the annual incidence density of snake bite among the rural Bangladeshi population. Information on frequency of snake bite and individuals' length of stay in selected households over the preceding twelve months was rigorously collected from the respondents through an interviewer administered questionnaire. Point estimates and confidence intervals of the incidence density of snake bite, weighted and adjusted for the multi-stage cluster sampling design, were obtained. Out of 18,857 study participants, over one year a total of 98 snake bites, including one death were reported in rural Bangladesh. The estimated incidence density of snake bite is 623.4 / 100,000 person years (95% C I 513.4–789.2 /100,000 person years). Biting occurs mostly when individuals are at work. The majority of the victims (71%) receive snake bites to their lower extremities. Eighty-six percent of the victims received some form of management within two hours of snake bite, although only three percent of the victims went directly to either a medical doctor or a hospital.Conclusions/SignificanceIncidence density of snake bite in rural Bangladesh is substantially higher than previously estimated. This is likely due to better ascertainment of the incidence through a population based survey. Poor access to health services increases snake bite related morbidity and mortality; therefore, effective public health actions are warranted.

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Rabies is a major public health problem in Bangladesh, where most of the population live in rural areas. However, there is little epidemiological information on rabies in rural Bangladesh. This study was conducted in 30 upazilas (subdistricts) covering all six divisions of the country, to determine the levels of rabies and animal bites in Bangladesh. The total population of these upazilas was 6 992 302. A pretested questionnaire was used and data were collected by interviewing the adult members of families. We estimated that in Bangladesh, 166 590 [95% confidence interval (CI) 163 350-170 550] people per year are bitten by an animal. The annual incidence of rabies deaths in Bangladesh was estimated to be 1·40 (95% CI 1·05-1·78)/100 000 population. By extrapolating this, we estimated that 2100 (95% CI 1575-2670) people die annually from rabies in Bangladesh. More than three-quarters of rabies patients died at home. This community-based study provides new information on rabies epidemiology in Bangladesh.

The Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) has created tremendous negative impacts on the livelihood of the marginal population in Bangladesh. Many people working in the informal sector have lost their job and income due to the ongoing pandemic. Unemployment and poverty among the people in both urban and rural areas throughout the country have increased. The success in economic growth in the last few decades could not save poor people to become extreme poor because economic prosperity was not inclusive in Bangladesh. This study tries to identify some of the impacts that COVID-19 has imposed on the lives of marginal population. Then it indicates some of the serious limitations of the existing economic policies. This article suggests that only growth-oriented policy measures are not sufficient to reconstruct the economy in the post-COVID era. Rather Bangladesh needs to adopt employment-oriented economic policies that are capable to create more jobs and reduce poverty and inequality.

Antibiotic use by 175 000 people in the Matlab rural surveillance area (MSA) of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) was studied to identify practices which might affect microbial drug resistance. We surveyed a 3% sample of drug purchases from pharmacies in the MSA over a four-week period in August and September 1980. Fifty-seven drug purchases were made per thousand Matlab residents per week; 9% of these were of tetracycline and 26% were antibiotics. Forty-eight per cent of the antibiotic tablets or capsules for persons aged 15 years or more were purchased in quantities which represented less than a single day's dose and rarely was a full course of therapy purchased at one time. The rate of tetracycline purchase for young children--in whom it is usually contraindicated--equalled the rate for older children and young adults. These practices have probably not led to improvements in health and may have promoted the emergence and persistence of drug-resistant micro-organisms. To optimize antibiotic use, control measures at government, producer, prescriber and consumer levels need to be pursued.

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This study was conducted in Sylhet district of Bangladesh to investigate the pathological effect of liver fluke in Black Bengal goats of different age groups, sex and in seasons. In this study, livers of male and female goats were collected randomly from slaughter house during a period of 1 (one) year (November, 2007 to October, 2008). A total of 325 Black Bengal goat livers were examined, of which 70 livers were found infected with Fasciola gigantica. The common histopathological changes found in this study were the migratory tract with lymphocytic infiltration, atrophy, necrosis and fatty changes in the liver. The study revealed that age of the animal has significant effect on Fascioliasis in goats. Significantly (P<0.01) highest infection rate was found in 2-2.5 years old animals (50%). The sex of the animal was also found as important determinants for Fascioliasis. In this study out of 219 male goat livers 30 (13.70%) were infected with Fasciola. On the other hand, out of 106 female goat livers, 40 (37.73%) were found positive with Fascioliasis. The data of origin of animals also collected which was not statistically significant. DOI = 10.3329/bjvm.v8i1.7717 Bangl. J. Vet. Med. (2010). 8(1): 35-40

PATIENTS AND METHODS Study design.The study was an open-label, single-group trial of miltefosine at 12 outpatient centers in VL-endemic regions of Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Mymensingh, Bangladesh.Patients. Patients were 2-65 years of age. Both male and female patients participated, and patents were enrolled during October 2006-September 2007. Inclusion criteria were signs and symptoms compatible with VL (fever for at least two weeks, palpable splenomegaly, weight loss by history), positive serologic test result for leishmaniasis (rK39), 7 hemoglobin level ≥ 6 g/dL, no infection with HIV, not pregnant or lactating, not being currently treated with an antileishmanial compound, and no significant concomitant medical condition. Malaria and enteric fever were ruled out by blood smears and the Widal test, respectively. If present, malaria and enteric fever were treated. These patients could then be admitted into the study. If tuberculosis was suspected on clinical grounds, the patient was not eligible for this study.Study procedures. Enrolled patients were given sufficient drugs for treatment for one week. Patients returned to the outpatient clinic once a week for three successive weeks for assessment of compliance and adverse events (AEs) and to receive drug for the next week's treatment. At the end of 28 days of treatment, patients were assessed for initial cure and were given instructions for follow-up at two months and six months after the end of treatment.Drug treatment. Miltefosine was administered daily for 28 days after meals. For children (≤ 12 years of age), the daily dose was 2.5 mg/kg body weight using 10-mg capsules split into twice-a-day doses. For adults (> 12 years of age) weighing < 25 kg, the daily dose was 50 mg of miltefosine/day as one capsule (50 mg) in the evening. For adults (> 12 years) weighing ≥ 25 kg, the daily dose was 100 mg of miltefosine as one capsule (50 mg) in the morning and one capsule in the evening.Assessments. Efficacy parameters (temperature and weight, spleen size, and hemoglobin level) were evaluated at initial screening and on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 of treatment and 2 months