Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a highly infectious tickborne disease caused by a high-risk group of viruses belonging to the family Bunyaviridae (1,2). In humans, the overall case-fatality rate of CCHF is ≈30%, but in severe and hospitalized patients, fatalities may be up to 80% (3,4). CCHF is widespread in various countries in Africa, Asia,… [Read more]

Determining the optimal time to vaccinate is important for influenza vaccination programmes. Here, we assessed the temporal characteristics of influenza epidemics in the Northern and Southern hemispheres and in the tropics, and discuss their implications for vaccination programmes. ReadFull

Shigella sonnei is a major contributor to the global burden of diarrhoeal disease, generally associated with dysenteric diarrhoea in developed countries but also emerging in developing countries. The reason for the recent success of S. sonnei is unknown, but is likely catalysed by its ability to acquire resistance against multiple antimicrobials. Between 2011 and 2013,… [Read more]

Rabies is a fatal and neglected zoonotic disease that causes an estimated 55,000 human deaths every year globally. In Bhutan, rabies is mainly reported in southern parts of the country along the border with India (1). Domestic dogs are the main source of and vector for rabies transmission to livestock and people. In Bhutan, the… [Read more]

Dengue is emerging as a serious public health problem globally, with 2.5 billion people at risk and 50 million dengue infections occurring annually. This disease is one of the most significant public health problems in tropical and subtropical countries, and is increasingly being detected in traditionally non-endemic areas. Bhutan was also among non-endemic area for… [Read more]

As per the Global TB Report 2013, 8.6 million new TB cases were detected in 2012 and 1.3 million TB deaths (around 1.0 million among HIV-negative people and 0.3 million HIV-associated TB deaths). Most of these TB cases and deaths occur among men but the burden of disease among women is also high. The South… [Read more]

Dengue is one of the most significant public health problems in tropical and subtropical countries, and is increasingly being detected in traditionally non-endemic areas. In Bhutan, dengue virus (DENV) has only recently been detected and limited information is available. In this study, we analyzed the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of DENV in two southern districts… [Read more]

Literature on influenza focuses on influenza A, despite influenza B having a large public health impact. The Global Influenza B Study aims to collect information on global epidemiology and burden of disease of influenza B since 2000.. ReadFull

Noroviruses are nonenveloped viruses of the family Caliciviridae with a single-stranded RNA genome. In developing countries, noroviruses cause >200,000 deaths annually among children

As part of efforts to develop an informed policy for rotavirus vaccination, this prospective study was conducted to estimate the burden of rotavirus diarrhea among children less than 5 years old attended to the Department of Pediatrics, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), Thimphu, Bhutan. The duration of the study was three years, extending… [Read more]