Zoonotic hookworms are important but underrecognized contributors to environmental contamination and public health risk in urban slum communities, where free-roaming dogs frequently interact with human populations. Although molecular investigations of hookworms have been reported from Bangladesh and other endemic countries, comprehensive surveillance of environmental canine fecal contamination in urban Bangladesh remains limited. This study investigated the prevalence and species diversity of hookworms in environmentally deposited canine fecal samples collected from urban slums in northeastern Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five urban slum communities of Sylhet City Corporation between January 2025 and April 2026. A total of 280 environmentally deposited canine fecal samples were examined using the formalin–ether concentration technique, modified Baermann technique (MBT), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA. All PCR-positive amplicons were bidirectionally sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis for species confirmation. A laboratory soil-spiking assay evaluated the analytical recovery efficiency of the modified Baermann technique for hookworm L3 recovery. Hookworm contamination was detected in 49.6

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and identify the risk factors among 80 children, aged 0–15 years, who lived in a slum. A sample size of eighty (80) participants was used for the investigation. A structured questionnaire and anthropometric tools were used to identify epidemiological data and risk factors. Stool samples were collected from the children and were subjected to laboratory analysis using the formol-ether concentration technique. The result revealed a high prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections, with an overall prevalence of 80%. Helminths presented a more significant prevalence than protozoans. Ascaris lumbricoides (40%) was the most prevalent parasite, followed by Trichuris trichiura (30.00%), Giardia duodenalis (20.00%), Hymenolepis nana (12.50%), Entamoeba histolytica (10.00%), Taenia sp. Ancylostoma duodenale (7.50%) and Escherichia coli (2.50%). The probability of parasitic infection was higher in boys than girls (p-value= 0.1569, 95% CI 0.72-6.7). The highest infection rate (94.12%) was detected in children in the age group 8-11years, and the least infection rate (33.33%) was detected in the age group 0-3years; additionally, statistical analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between intestinal parasite infections concerning age groups (p- value= 0.0043). 100% prevalence was recorded during the summer season, while 60% prevalence was found in autumn (p value= 0.0003). The study findings showed that illiteracy, poor hygiene practices, drinking water source, house and latrine type, and deworming treatment were the factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections. Increased hygiene practices, poverty reduction, and deworming promotions are essential to reduce intestinal parasitic infections among slum children. Mass-scale awareness camping could be effective as well. Bangladesh J. Zool. 53(2): 158-169, 2025

Malaria imparts significant public health concern in humanitarian emergency settings in endemic areas from a relatively more compromised and flaccid disease surveillance and monitoring practice compared to that in peace time situation. Incurring a chronically high malaria case morbidity and mortality Africa and south-east Asia additionally suffer from human caused conflict and war led population migration and displacement crises intermittently to exacerbate malaria burden in the two regions. The patterns and trends in the transmission dynamics of malaria infections in peace time and plain areas is considered to be complicated with in-country as well as cross-border human movement to and from the endemic and/or non-endemic territories. This ends in with developing imported or introduced plasmodial infections in an area that stands as the key challenge for controlling or eliminating malaria there. Then exploring malaria situation and experiences in some key refugee camps in Africa and south-east Asia in this review paper has helped us add new experiences and ideas of fighting malaria to the existing data base of the disease. The acute and unstable humanitarian settings in malaria endemic areas intrigue the disease transmission dynamics and the toll with greater fluctuation in terms of case morbidity and mortality compared with that in chronic and unstable humanitarian emergency situations. This and other overviews here will definitely better guide malaria elimination efforts, especially in humanitarian emergencies in the two endemic regions in an integrated and comprehensive way. Bangladesh J. Zool. 52(2): 141-166, 2024

Malaria is a major public health concern in tropical and subtropical areas including Bangladesh. The country has a long history of incurring high malaria morbidity and mortality in a heterogeneous transmission dynamics- demographical, spatial, and temporal. Elimination of malaria in Bangladesh remains a prerequisite for promoting better public health, especially in the malaria hotspots in its remote south-east and north-east border areas. The country boasts with the world's largest delta and lengthy monsoons sharing her border with India and Myanmar- additional two endemic countries for malaria in the SEA.With a significant progress in combating malaria in recent past, Bangladesh now envisages to eliminate the disease by 2030. A significant decline in malaria cases and deaths in its plain areas, however is intrigued with in-country as well as cross-border human movement to and from the forests in and around Chattogram Hill Tracts that reportedly works as a source of infections of the disease. This forest malaria remains a significant obstacle to the country’s malaria elimination efforts. Bangladesh J. Zool. 52(1): 03-25, 2024

The present study was carried out mainly in the two extremely poor prone zones like north and south zones of the country consisting of 20 districts, among those, three districts like Gaibandha, Sylhet, Mymensingh are non-endemic areas of filariasis. Out of 20 studied districts, Bagerhat, Gopalganj, Sylhet, Narail, Mymensingh and Norshindhi have no patients of filariasis. 89.81% patients were found in endemic area (17 districts) and 10.18% patients were found in non-endemic area (3 districts). The highest frequency of patients was found in Lalmonirhat and Thakurgaon followed by Gaibandha. In the present study, 69.2% patients were found in the north zone and 30.8% patients in south zone. There were no patients in the age group (0-10), the highest number of patients was found in the age group (41-50) and gradually it is decreasing with the age. 90.5% of patients were suffering from leg swelling followed by hand swelling (7.6%). About 0.7% and 1.2% of patients were suffering from breast and scrotum swelling respectively.

The present study aimed to measure the prevalence of intestinal parasites among children with gastrointestinal tract infections from different slum areas of Dhaka. Furthermore, a comparison was made of the accuracy of direct smear (DS) and formol-ether concentration (FEC) techniques in the detection of infection. The overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 72.46% with a combined method. By direct smear, 2 species of protozoa (11.59%), 2 species of cestode (5.07%) and 4 species of nematode (18.12%) parasites were detected whereas by formol – ether concentration method, 5 species of protozoa (28.26%), 1 species of Trematode (1.44%), 2 species of cestode (17.39%) and 5 species of nematode (79.71%) parasites were detected. By direct smear (DS) and formol-ether concentration (FEC) the prevalence of intestinal parasites was 42% and 58% respectively. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most common parasite detected by both formol-ether concentration (37.68%) and direct smear method (7.97%). A statistically significant association (P < 0.001) was found between the test methods, age groups and months with parasitic infection. Direct smear showed less sensitivity than formol-ether concentration technique (100%). The diagnostic performance of formol-ether technique for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites in slum children was remarkably higher as related to direct smear in the present study. Therefore, the DS and FEC combined techniques should be used as routine investigative techniques for the identification of intestinal parasites. Henceforth, it is advantageous to use the formol-ether method to complement the direct smear method. Bangladesh J. Zool. 50(3): 353-361, 2022

Malaria causes significant morbidity and mortality in tropical and sub-tropical regions, particularly in humanitarian emergencies including refugee camps in malaria endemic areas. An epidemiological investigation was conducted on malaria disease distribution and risk factors in the world’s largest refugee settlement, the Rohingya refugee camps on the south-eastern border area of Bangladesh, within 2017–2020. From February 2017 to March 2020, 30,460 febrile patients were tested for malaria using light microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests. Most were self-presenting symptomatic patients and a minority were from door-to-door malaria screening. Diagnostic tests were done by trained medical technologists upon the advice of the concerned physicians in the camps. Test positivity rate (

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which affects practically all warm-blooded animals, including humans, domestic animals, and terrestrial and marine wild animals.

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is not adequately handled and habits are still surrounded by socio-cultural limitations and taboos in many Bangladeshi societies, resulting in negative health outcomes for adolescent girls.

The Ready-Made Garments (RMG) industry, the main contributor to our export earning, employs about 35 lac female workers who often suffer from health issues including malnutrition, communicable diseases, pregnancy complications, reproductive infections, inappropriate use of birth control materials and other such diseases related to sexual and reproductive health. This study was conducted among women of reproductive age groups (18-45 years) working in three garment factories in the district of Tangail, Bangladesh. The data was collected by face-to-face formal interview with the respondents using an interview schedule.

The present study was carried out during the months of June 2021 to May 2022 to observe the prevalence of eggs and larvae of gastrointestinal parasites in the nails of the vendors and rickshaw pullers within Dhaka city.

Hamida Khanum*, Rimi Farhana Zaman, Priyanka Barua, Meher Banu Asha and Nazmunnaher Author Affiliations Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh Received: August 29, 2022 | Published: September 12, 2022 Corresponding author: Hamida Khanum, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2022.46.007301

Kazi Sefayet Enam1 and Hamida Khanum2,3* Author Affiliations 1Medical officer, Department of Medicine, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh 2American International University-Bangladesh, Bangladesh 3Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh Received: February 14, 2022 | Published: March 02, 2022 Corresponding author: Hamida Khanum, American International University, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2022.42.006727

Farhana Muznebin1,2, Hamida Khanum1*, Mohammad Firoj Jaman1 and Abu Zar Md. Shafiullah3 Author Affiliations 1Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh 2Department of Zoology, Jagannath University, Bangladesh 3Department of Statistics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh Received: December 20, 2021 | Published: January 11, 2022 Corresponding author: Hamida Khanum, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000 Bangladesh DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2022.40.006528

The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in ruminants. A total of 124 fecal samples from ruminants (92 samples from large ruminants – cattle, buffalo and 32 from small ruminants- goat and sheep) were collected from Gabtoli cattle market and Keraniganj, Dhaka from May to September 2017. Formol ether concentration technique was used to process the fecal samples. Among the large ruminants, the maximum prevalence was shown by Entamoeba sp. among protozoan parasites in Gabtoli (46.43%; CPG, 16.2±4.5) and Keraniganj (44.44%; CPG, 10.1±1.5) respectively. Fasciola sp. showed the uppermost prevalence (35.71%; EPG 173.6±61) in Gabtoli while, from Keraniganj, Dicrocoelium sp. (27.78%; EPG 6.4±2) showed the uppermost prevalence among the trematodes infesting large ruminants. Dipylidium sp. (35.71%; EPG 5.5±2.5) and Taenia sp. (35.71%; EPG, 13.1±1.5) showed high prevalence in Gabtoli cattle market, whereas, Keraniganj, the most prevalent cestode was Moniezia sp. (38.9%; EPG, 9±1). In both Gabtoli and Keraniganj, Ascaris sp. showed the highest prevalence (42.86%; EPG, 36.3±12 and 38.9%; EPG, 12.1±1, respectively) among the large ruminants. Among the small ruminants, the maximum prevalence was presented by Balantidium sp. (25%; CPG, 32.5±9.5) and Entamoeba sp. (25%; CPG, 30±1.5), Fasciola sp. (37.5%; EPG, 22.5±9.5), Taenia sp. (25%; EPG, 12.5±1) and Ascaris sp. (43.75%; EPG, 20±2), respectively, for protozoans, trematodes, cestodes and nematodes. Female ruminants showed higher prevalence of parasites than that in male. Bangladesh J. Zool. 49 (3): 423-434, 2021

Zohora Aktar1 and Hamida Khanum2* Author Affiliations 1SR coordination and operation Management, BRAC HO, Bangladesh 2Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, American International University o-Bangladesh, Bangladesh Received: July 17, 2022 | Published: August 02, 2022 Corresponding author: Hamida Khanum, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, American International University o-Bangladesh, Boshumdhara, Dhaka DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2022.45.007207