Human Nipah virus (NiV) infection is an epidemic-prone disease and since the first recognized outbreak in Bangladesh in 2001, human infections have been detected almost every year. Due to its high case fatality rate and public health importance, a hospital-based Nipah sentinel surveillance was established in Bangladesh to promptly detect Nipah cases and respond to outbreaks at the earliest. The surveillance has been ongoing till present. The hospital-based sentinel surveillance was conducted at ten strategically chosen tertiary care hospitals distributed throughout Bangladesh. The surveillance staff ensured that routine screening, enrollment, data, and specimen collection from suspected Nipah cases were conducted daily. The specimens were then processed and transported to the reference laboratory of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and icddr,b for confirmation of diagnosis through serology and molecular detection. From 2006 to 2021, through this hospital-based surveillance platform, 7,150 individuals were enrolled and tested for Nipah virus. Since 2001, 322 Nipah infections were identified in Bangladesh, 75% of whom were laboratory confirmed cases. Half of the reported cases were primary cases (162/322) having an established history of consuming raw date palm sap (DPS) or tari (fermented date palm sap) and 29% were infected through person-to-person transmission. Since the initiation of surveillance, 68% (218/322) of Nipah cases from Bangladesh have been identified from various parts of the country. Fever, vomiting, headache, fatigue, and increased salivation were the most common symptoms among enrolled Nipah patients. Till 2021, the overall case fatality rate of NiV infection in Bangladesh was 71%. This article emphasizes that the overall epidemiology of Nipah virus infection in Bangladesh has remained consistent throughout the years. This is the only systematic surveillance to detect human NiV infection globally. The findings from this surveillance have contributed to early detection of NiV cases in hospital settings, understanding of Nipah disease epidemiology, and have enabled timely public health interventions for prevention and containment of NiV infection. Although we still have much to learn regarding the transmission dynamics and risk factors of human NiV infection, surveillance has played a significant role in advancing our knowledge in this regard.

BACKGROUND In anticipation of introduction of a rotavirus vaccine into the national immunization program of Bangladesh, active hospital-based surveillance was initiated to provide prevaccine baseline data on rotavirus disease. METHODS Children 5 years of age and younger admitted with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) (≥3 watery or looser-than-normal stools or ≥1 episode of forceful vomiting) at 7 hospitals throughout Bangladesh were identified. Clinical information and stool specimens were collected from every 4th patient. Specimens were tested for rotavirus antigen by enzyme immunoassays; 25% of detected rotaviruses were genotyped. RESULTS From July 2012 to June 2015, rotavirus was detected in 2432 (64%) of 3783 children hospitalized for AGE. Eight enrolled children died, including 4 (50%) who were rotavirus positive. Rotavirus was detected year-round in Bangladesh with peak detection rates of >80% during November-February. Most (86%) rotavirus AGE cases were 6-23 months of age. Sixty-nine percent of children with rotavirus had severe disease (Vesikari score, ≥11). Among 543 strains genotyped, G1P[8] (31%) and G12P[8] (29%) were the most common. CONCLUSIONS Rotavirus is a major cause of morbidity in Bangladeshi children, accounting for nearly two-thirds of AGE hospitalizations. These data highlight the potential value of rotavirus vaccination in Bangladesh, and will be the key for future measurement of vaccine impact.

The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of climate on childhood diarrhoea hospitalisations across six administrative divisions in Bangladesh and to provide scientific evidence for local health authorities for disease control and prevention. Fortnightly hospital admissions (August/2013–June/2017) for diarrhoea in children under five years of age, and fortnightly average maximum temperature, relative humidity and rainfall recordings for six administrative divisions were modelled using negative binomial regression with distributed lag linear terms. Flexible spline functions were used to adjust models for seasonality and long-term trends. During the study period, 25,385 diarrhoea cases were hospitalised. Overall, each 1 °C rise in maximum temperature increased diarrhoea hospitalisations by 4.6% (IRR = 1.046; 95% CI, 1.007–1.088) after adjusting for seasonality and long-term trends in the unlagged model. Using lagged effects of maximum temperature, and adjusting for relative humidity and rainfall for each of the six administrative divisions, the relationship between maximum temperature and diarrhoea hospitalisations varied between divisions, with positive and negative effect estimates. The temperature-diarrhoea association may be confounded by seasonality and long-term trends. Our findings are a reminder that the effects of climate change may be heterogeneous across regions, and that tailored diarrhoea prevention strategies need to consider region-specific recommendations rather than relying on generic guidelines.

Background: Norovirus is a major cause of endemic acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide. We described the epidemiology, risk factors, and genotypic distribution of noroviruses among hospitalized patients of all ages in Bangladesh. Methods: From March 2018 to October 2021, 1250 AGE case patients and controls (age, sex, season, and site matched) were enrolled at 10 hospitals. Demographic and clinical information was collected; real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) used to test stool specimens, and positive samples were genotyped. Results: Norovirus was detected in 9% of cases (111 of 1250) and 15% (182 of 1250) of controls. Eighty-two percent of norovirus-positive cases were in children <5 years old. Norovirus-positive AGE hospitalizations occurred year-round, with peaks in April and October. Risk factors for norovirus included age <5 years (adjusted odds ratio, 3.1 [95% confidence interval, 1.9–5.2]) and exposure to a patient with AGE in the 10 days before enrollment (3.8 [1.9–7.2]). GII.3[P16] and GII.4 Sydney[P16] were the predominant genotypes. Conclusions: We highlight the burden of norovirus in hospital settings. Young age and recent exposure to a patient with AGE were risk factors for norovirus. A high prevalence of norovirus among controls might represent asymptomatic reinfections or prolonged shedding from a previous infection; carefully designed longitudinal studies are needed to improve our understanding of norovirus infections in Bangladesh.

Rotavirus vaccines have significantly decreased the burden of diarrheal diseases in countries that have introduced them into their immunization programs. In some studies, there has been a small association between rotavirus vaccines and intussusception in post-marketing surveillance, highlighting the importance of tracking incidence before and after vaccine introduction. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of intussusception among Bangladeshi children pre-vaccine introduction. We conducted active, hospital-based surveillance for intussusception at 7 tertiary care hospitals with pediatric surgical facilities during July 2012 to September 2016. Hospitalized children under 2years of age were identified according to Brighton Collaboration level 1 criteria for intussusception. The frequency and proportion of intussusception among overall surgical admissions, as well as the demographic and clinical information of the cases is described. Overall 153 cases of intussusception among children <2years-old were identified at participating sites over the enrolment period, confirmed by Level 1 Brighton criteria. These cases represented 2% of all surgical admissions under 2years of age. One hundred twelve cases (73%) were male; the median age was 7months; and the median duration of hospitalization was 7days. One hundred forty-six (95%) children with intussusception required surgery, and 11 (7%) died. Confirmed cases of intussusception represented nearly 2% of pediatric surgical admissions at tertiary referral centers in Bangladesh during the study period and 7% of children with intussusception died. Given the high burden of rotavirus disease in Bangladesh, vaccine introduction is warranted, however, further studies after introduction of rotavirus vaccine are necessary to determine any association between vaccine and intussusception in this setting.