DSpace community: ICDDR,B External Publications

Increasing the application of operations research findings in public sector family planning programs: lessons from the ICDDR,B Extension Project

title: Increasing the application of operations research findings in public sector family planning programs: lessons from the ICDDR,B Extension Project authors: Koenig, Michael A.; Whittaker, Maxine

Serum ferritin and cholera: A prospective study

title: Serum ferritin and cholera: A prospective study authors: Alam, A. N.; Goff, Paul A.; Abdal, N. M.; Rashid, M. A.; Rahaman, M. M.
abstract: An association has been shown between iron deficiency and a low gastric acidity while the latter is known to increase susceptibility to cholera. This study was undertaken to ascertain whether iron deficiency is a risk factor for contracting cholera. The subjects were 60 adult males-30 with cholera admitted to ICDDR,B and 30 controls matched for age, sex and socio-economic status from the same household or immediate neighbourhood of the index case. Fingerstick blood was taken from all subjects to estimate the haematocrit, and serum ferritin concentration by an ELISA. The mean ferritin level of the study group was 38.7 ng/100 ml, in the controls. There was a significant difference in the serum ferritin level between the groups (P less than 0.005), Wilcoxon Sign Rank test for matched pairs suggesting that cholera patients tend to have lower serum ferritin concentration. Further prospective studies are required to define the possible association between iron deficiency and cholera more accurately.

The use of soap and water in two Bangladeshi communities: implications for the transmission of diarrhea

title: The use of soap and water in two Bangladeshi communities: implications for the transmission of diarrhea authors: Sushila, Zeitlyn; Islam, Farzana
abstract: Efforts to reduce the incidence of diarrheal infections in which enteropathogens are endemic have focused on education about the importance of hand washing to interrupt transmission of such organisms. Since the effectiveness of health education depends on an understanding of the recipients' ideas and customs, we studied perceptions of cleanliness and the role of soap and hand washing in two poor Bangladeshi communities, one rural and one urban. We found that ideas about cleanliness generally are not based on germ theory; cleanliness is viewed in a larger, socioreligious context of purity vs. impurity. Washing serves both physical and spiritual needs and is performed according to defined patterns that may not effectively interrupt transmission of microorganisms. Soap is regarded as a cosmetic rather than an agent for removal of microorganisms.

Surveillance of shigellosis in rural Bangladesh: a 10 years review

title: Surveillance of shigellosis in rural Bangladesh: a 10 years review authors: Zaman, K.; Yunus, Md.; Baqui, A. H.; Hossain, K. M. B.
abstract: Over a period of 10 years 35,620 patients, admitted from a defined surveillance area, had a rectal swab culture done at a rural diarrhoea treatment centre in Bangladesh. Shigella spp. were isolated from 3,440 (9.7%) cases. Marked year to year variations were observed in isolation rates of Shigella spp. ranging from 5.7% to 16.7%. Sh. flexneri was the predominant isolate between 1978 to 1982 (56%-67%), Sh. dysenteriae type 1 predominated from 1983 to 1985 (45%-50%), and again Sh. flexneri became predominant in 1986 (55%) and 1987 (61%). Shigella were most commonly isolated from children aged 1-4 years followed by children 5-9 years and elderly people aged 45+ years. Sh. flexneri was isolated most frequently during August - January and Sh.dysenteriae type 1 during June to July. The overall case fatality rate in patients with shigellosis was 0.96%. It was 1.10% in children under 5 years of age. Prevalence of multiple antibiotic resistant strains increased over the years and at present most strains are resistant to commonly used antibiotics such as ampicillin and cotrimoxazole. Nalidixic acid is currently the drug of choice for Shigella infection in this area.