Data transparency has played a key role in this pandemic. The aim of this paper is to map COVID-19 data availability and accessibility, and to rate their transparency and credibility in selected countries, by the source of information. This is used to identify knowledge gaps, and to analyse policy implications. The availability of a number of COVID-19 metrics (incidence, mortality, number of people tested, test positive rate, number of patients hospitalised, number of patients discharged, the proportion of population who received at least one vaccine, the proportion of population fully vaccinated) was ascertained from selected countries for the full population, and for few of stratification variables (age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status) and subgroups (residents in nursing homes, inmates, students, healthcare and social workers, and residents in refugee camps). Nine countries were included: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, Turkey, Panama, Greece, the UK, and the Netherlands. All countries reported periodically most of COVID-19 metrics on the total population. Data were more frequently broken down by age, sex, and region than by ethnic group or socio-economic status. Data on COVID-19 is partially available for special groups. This exercise highlighted the importance of a transparent and detailed reporting of COVID-19 related variables. The more data is publicly available the more transparency, accountability, and democratisation of the research process is enabled, allowing a sound evidence-based analysis of the consequences of health policies.

IntroductionRabies is one of the priority zoonotic diseases in Bangladesh. Though the rabies cases have been reduced over the years due to the mass dog vaccination programme since 2011 throughout the country, it is still a major health problem in Bangladesh with an annual estimated 200 000 animal bite cases and over 2000 human deaths. This article presented a scoping review protocol for published literature on rabies in Bangladesh and believes to create impact in Bangladesh by identifying the research gap and guiding the evidence-informed policy adaptation from its findings in the future which will strongly underscore the elimination of Rabies and reduce preventable mortalities. We will attempt to synthesise evidence descriptively on burden and impact of rabies in human population as well as the awareness level and effective control and preventive measures from the available studies on rabies from 2010 to 2021 in Bangladesh.MethodsThe scoping review is planned following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the major guiding steps are: defining the research questions, determining the eligibility criteria with population, concept and context strategy, stating the plan for evidence searching, selection and data collection, searching for evidence and selection of literature by the inclusion criteria, data collection, descriptive analysis and presentation of the data and reporting of the findings. Search will be conducted for both published and grey literature in English language. Blinded screening processes will be adapted to prevent bias among reviewers.Ethics and disseminationA scoping review synthesises existing knowledge and does not necessitate ethical approval. Results of this scoping review will be submitted to a journal for publication, presented in relevant conferences and disseminated on social media platforms (eg, Twitter) among the global health stakeholders.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread rapidly from China to most other countries around the world in early 2020 killing millions of people. To prevent virus spread, world governments implemented a variety of response measures. This paper’s objectives were to discuss the country’s adopted measures to combat the virus through June 2020, identify gaps in the measures’ effectiveness, and offer possible mitigations to those gaps. The measures taken included screening device deployment across international air and land ports, flight suspensions and closures from COVID-19 affected countries, and declaration and extension of a national public holiday (equivalent to lockdowns in other countries). Identified gaps were test kit, PPE, ICU beds, and ventilator shortages, limited public awareness, and insufficient coordination and collaboration among national and international partners. Proper and timely risk mapping, preparedness, communication, coordination, and collaboration among governments and organizations, and public awareness and engagement would have provided sufficient COVID-19 mitigation in Bangladesh.

Ducks are a natural reservoir of influenza A viruses (IAVs) and can act as a reassortment vessel. Wetlands, such as Hakaluki and Tanguar haor in Bangladesh, have unique ecosystems including domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) rearing, especially household and free-range ducks. A cross-sectional study was, therefore, conducted to explore avian influenza status and its distribution and risk factors in the wetland areas. During the three consecutive winters of 2015–2017, specifically in December of these years, we collected a total of 947 samples including blood, oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs from domestic ducks (such as free-range ducks (n = 312 samples) and household ducks (n = 635 samples) in wetlands. We screened serum samples using a nucleoprotein competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) to estimate seroprevalence of IAV antibodies and swab samples by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) to detect IA viral M gene. Eleven M gene positive samples were subjected to sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Serological and viral prevalence rates of IAVs were 63.8% (95% CI: 60.6–66.8) and 10.7% (8.8–12.8), respectively. Serological and viral RNA prevalence rates were 51.8% (95% CI: 47.2–56.4) and 10.2% (7.6–13.3) in Hakaluki haor, 75.6% (71.5–79.4) and 11.1% (8.5–14.3) in Tanguar haor, 66.3% (62.5–69.9) and 11.2% (8.8–13.9) in household ducks and 58.7% (52.9–64.2) and 9.6% (6.5–13.4) in free-range ducks, respectively. The risk factors identified for higher odds of AI seropositive ducks were location (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 2.2–3.8, p < 0.001; Tanguar haor vs. Hakaluki haor), duck-rearing system (OR = 1.4, 1.1–1.8, household vs. free-range), farmer’s education status (OR = 1.5, 1.2–2.0, p < 0.05 illiterate vs. literate) and contact type (OR = 3.0, 2.1–4.3, p < 0.001; contact with chicken vs. no contact with chicken). The risk factors identified for higher odds of AI viral RNA positive ducks were farmer’s education status (OR = 1.5, 1.0–2.3, p < 0.05 for illiterate vs literate), contact type (OR = 2.7, 1.7–4.2, p < 0.001; ducks having contact with chicken vs. ducks having contact with waterfowl). The phylogenetic analysis of 11 partial M gene sequences suggested that the M gene sequences detected in free-range duck were very similar to each other and were closely related to the M gene sequences of previously reported highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) subtypes in waterfowl in Bangladesh and Southeast Asian countries. Results of the current study will help provide significant information for future surveillance programs and model IAV infection to predict the spread of the viruses among migratory waterfowl, free-range ducks and domestic poultry in Bangladesh.

Live Bird Markets (LBMs) in Asian countries are considered as hubs for the spread and maintenance of different infectious diseases. In Bangladesh, LBMs are the major source of live and dressed poultry to consumers and until now only a few studies have been conducted targeting infectious agent status such as avian influenza virus (AIV) prevalence of LBMs in Bangladesh. Therefore, a cross sectional study was conducted using all 40 LBMs within the Chittagong Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Bangladesh targeting demographic information and hygienic status of LBMs in concurrence with AIV prevalence and its subtype distribution, as well as the associated risk factors for AIV. Pooled environmental swab samples were collected from 2 to 9 different sites per stall, with epidemiological data being obtained from a total of 290 stalls across 40 LBMs. The samples were evaluated by Real Time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction. The prevalence of AIV was 40% (95% CI: 20-60%; N=40) at a LBM level followed by 20.3% (CI: 10-30%, N=290) at a stall level. Specifically, the prevalence of H5, H7 and H9 subtypes at stall level were 2.8% (95% CI: 1-5%), 0% (CI: 0-1.3%) and 3.1% (CI: 1-6%), respectively. Generalized Estimating Equation model identified that the type of species sold (OR=2.5: Chicken and non-duck species versus Duck with other species), bird holding areas (OR=1.9: Cage versus Floor) and Hygienic score (OR=3.1: Score 3 or more versus score less than 3) as potential risk factors for the detection of AIV at stall level. These results suggest that housing chickens and ducks together in the stalls, birds kept on floors, and lack of adequate hygienic measures of the stall were the crucial factors for spreading AIV. This research outcome could be used to develop a proof-based program concerning environmental sanitation along with development of an effective surveillance system to reduce the AIV transmission through LBMs in Bangladesh.

Bones of forelimb were studied from a prepared skeleton of an adult female Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in Anatomy Museum of Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University to understand the morphological form and structure of Asian elephant forelimb. The angle was approximately 123 degrees between caudal border of scapula and caudal border of humerus. The scapula, humerus and bones of the antebrachium (particularly the ulna) were massive bones. The bones of manus were the short and relatively small. The dorsal border of scapula extended from the level of proximal extremity of first rib to the middle of the 6th rib. Ventral angle of scapula articulated with humerus by elongated shaped glenoid cavity (cavitas glenoidalis) of scapula and head of humerus (caput humeri). The major tubercle (tuberculum majus) of humerus was situated laterally to the head, which had smaller cranial part with large caudal part and extended cranially to the head. The crest of minor tubercle (tuberculum minus) was present as the rough line on the mediocaudal surface of humerus that ends in a slight depressed or elevated area, known as teres major tuberosity (tuberositas teres major). The lateral supracondyler crest (crista supra condylaris lateralis) at the caudal surface of the shaft limit the musculo-spiral groove in body of humerus. The radius and ulna are twin bones of forearm and the attachment between ulna and radius occurs in such a way, the radius articulates craniomedially with the ulna in the proximal part. But the shaft spirals laterally over the cranial surface of the ulna to articulate distally with the medial aspect of the ulna. There were 8 carpal bones, 5 metacarpal bones and 5 digits. The comparative size of the proximal and distal raw of carpal bones were ulnar carpal > radial > intermediate > accessory carpal and IV > III > II > I respectively. The gradual lengths of the metacarpal bones were III > IV > II > V > I. Digits I and V were vertical and digit II, III and IV were horizontal.