Standardized questionnaires for screening common health problems in the community often need to be translated for use in non-English speaking countries. There is a lack of literature documenting the process of translation of such questionnaire/scale that would enable their application in cross-cultural settings and standardization of the procedure. This paper reports the process of translation into Bangla of the widely used Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for use in Bangladesh. Three methods: forward translation, committee translation, and back translation were used to ensure the equivalence of the translated version. Both the English and Bangla versions were piloted among 10 social science graduates who were proficient in both the languages. The concurrence of each respondent between the two versions showed a correlation coefficient of 0.98 (p<0.01). The BlandAltman test also showed a high degree of agreement. The piloted version was also tested with 15 women in the postnatal period and found to be suitable for women with lower educational attainment. The documentation of the translation process and the lessons learnt would be helpful in similar settings where screening questionnaires need to be adapted for local use.

BackgroundIn 2010, an acute illness outbreak was reported in school students eating high-energy biscuits supplied by the school feeding programme in northwest Bangladesh. We investigated this outbreak to describe the illness in terms of person, place and time, develop the timeline of events, and determine the cause and community perceptions regarding the outbreak.MethodsWe defined case-patients as students from affected schools reporting any two symptoms including abdominal pain, heartburn, bitter taste, and headache after eating biscuits on the day of illness. We conducted in-depth interviews and group discussions with students, teachers, parents and community members to explore symptoms, exposures, and community perceptions. We conducted a questionnaire survey among case-patients to determine the symptoms and ascertain food items eaten 12 hours before illness onset, and microbiological and environmental investigations.Results Among 142 students seeking hospital care, 44 students from four schools qualified as case-patients. Of these, we surveyed 30 who had a mean age of 9 years; 70% (21/30) were females. Predominant symptoms included abdominal pain (93%), heartburn (90%), and bitter taste (57%). All students recovered within a few hours. No pathogenic Vibrio cholerae, Shigella or Salmonella spp. were isolated from collected stool samples. We found no rancid biscuits in schools and storage sites. The female index case perceived the unusually darker packet label as a “devil’s deed” that made the biscuits poisonous. Many students, parents and community members reported concerns about rumors of students dying from biscuit poisoning.ConclusionsRapid onset, followed by rapid recovery of symptoms; female preponderance; inconsistent physical, microbiological and environmental findings suggested mass sociogenic illness rather than a foodborne or toxic cause. Rumours of student deaths heightening community anxiety apparently propagated this outbreak. Sharing investigation results and reassuring students and parents through health communication campaigns could limit similar future outbreaks and help retain beneficiaries’ trust on nutrition supplementation initiatives.

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Objective:The study was conducted to assess the prevalence of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows at Baghabari milk shed area of Sirajganj and Pabna districts in Bangladesh. Materials and methods: A total of 300 milk samples were collected from crossbred dairy cows, and the milk samples were subjected for using California Mastitis Test (CMT). Besides, data related to farm management were taken from 60 farmers through direct interviews. The CMT was compared with White Slide Test (WST) and Surf Field Mastitis Test (SFMT). The samples showing strong positive reaction to mastitis by CMT were used for the isolation of associated bacteria using conventional bacteriological examinations and biochemical properties. The isolated bacteria were subjected for antibiogram studies by disc diffusion method. Results: Out of 300 samples, 153 (51%) revealed positive reactions denoting that the cows were suffering from subclinical mastitis. Of the 153 samples, 39(13%) were trace-positive, 56(18.56%) were weak-positive, 33(11%) were distinct-positive, and the rest 25(8.3%) samples were strongly positive. In comparison economically among CMT, WST and SFMT, SFMT was found to be the cheapest and easiest. In this study, the cows were mostly infected with mixed infection with Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and some cows had single bacterial infection. It was observed that most of the microorganisms were sensitive to Gentamycin, Amoxicillin and Ceftriaxone, and were resistant to Penicillin, Ciprofloxacin and Colistin sulphate. Conclusion: Overall prevalence of subclinical mastitis in the crossbred dairy cows at Sirajganj and Pabna district is 51%. It indicates that subclinical mastitis is a major threat for dairy industry in the studied areas. Early detection and appropriate preventive measures are suggestive to successful control of the disease.

The present study was conducted at milk pocket areas Sahjadpur Upazila under Sirajgonj district and Shathia and Bera Upazila under the Pabna district, respectively. A total number of one hundred ninety (190) dairy farmers were surveyed randomly selecting twenty farmers from each village. All data collected were statistically analyzed using Univariate General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of SPSS computer program. Lack of balanced feed was the highest cause of repeat breeding claimed by about sixty (60%) percent farmers in this study. The highest incidence of RB was obtained in LocalHolstein Friesian crosses (69%) and lowest in LocalSahiwal crosses (8%). From the study of present findings; it can be concluded that genotype, nutrient of feed, quality of semen, frequency of insemination and reproductive problems are the main possible causes for RB in the studied areas.

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Impacts of climate change adaptation strategies need to be evaluated using principled methods spanning sectors and longer time frames. We propose machine-learning approaches to study the long-term impacts of flood protection in Bangladesh. Available data include socio-economic survey and events data (death, migration, etc.) from 1983-2014. These multidecadal data, rare in their extent and quality, provide a basis for using machine-learning approaches even though the data were not collected or designed to assess the impact of the flood control investments. We test whether the embankment has affected the welfare of people over time, benefiting those living inside more than those living outside. Machine-learning approaches enable learning patterns in data to help discriminate between two groups: here households living inside vs. outside. They also help identify the most informative indicators of discrimination and provide robust metrics to evaluate the quality of the model. Overall, we find no significant difference between inside/outside populations based on welfare, migration, or mortality indicators. However, we note a significant difference in inward/outward movement with respect to the embankment. While certain data gaps and spatial heterogeneity in sampled populations suggest caution in any conclusive interpretation of the flood protection infrastructure, we do not see higher benefits accruing to those living with higher levels of protection. This has implications for Bangladesh's planning for future and more extreme climate futures, including the national Delta Plan, and global investments in climate resilient infrastructure to create positive social impacts.