Bhutan is a small landlocked country located between India and China. Part of the population is concentrated in the capital Thimphu, but most are scattered sparsely throughout the country. Diarrhea is a major cause of illness and death in Bhutanese children, and the morbidity rate from diarrhea in ,5 years old children is 314.6/1,000 population… [Read more]
Dog bites in human and expenses incur on anti-rabies treatment is a public health problem in Bhutan. In this study we describe the epidemiology of dog bites and the use of human rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccine in Bhutan for a period of four years (2009-2012). Dog bites and PEP treatment data (18,813 patients’) were… [Read more]
We identified a new genotype of bufavirus, BuV3, in fecal samples (0.8%) collected to determine the etiology of diarrhea in children in Bhutan. Norovirus GII.6 was detected in 1 sample; no other viral diarrheal pathogens were detected, suggesting BuV3 as a cause of diarrhea. This study investigates genetic diversity of circulating BuVs. Read Full
During a diarrhea surveillance study in Bhutan 2011, Shigella sonnei were isolated more frequently than expected. Twenty-nine S. sonnei isolated from Bhutan were characterized for antimicrobial susceptibility, integrons, gyrA gene mutation, replicon typing, plasmid and PFGE analysis. Read Full
This study aimed to describe the factors associated with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Bhutan. The study covered all MDR-TB patients admitted to Gidhakom Hospital, Thimphu from August 2011 to July 2012. Data were collected from MDR-TB registers, laboratory registers and inpatient records as well as from interview with patients about demographic characteristics, history of previous… [Read more]
The first case of A(H1N1)pdm09 infection was detected in Bhutan in July 2009, 3 months after the virus was first reported in Mexico in April 2009. During the official WHO pandemic period( 11 June 2009 to 8 August 2010), a total of 2149 samples were collected and tested by RT-PCR of which 22.7% (487) were… [Read more]
During the study period, a total of 284 children (1 in 45) were hospitalized, and 2,220 children (1 in 6 children) attended the outpatient clinic with diarrhea. Group A rotavirus was detected in 5% of the stool samples from the hospitalized children with diarrhea. Overall, 22.3% of the stool samples were rotavirus-positive, and the majority… [Read more]
In 2012, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was reported for the first time in Bhutan. IgM ELISA results were positive for 36/210 patient samples; PCR was positive for 32/81. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed that Bhutan CHIKV belongs to the East/Central/South African genotype. Appropriate responses to future outbreaks require a system of surveillance and improved laboratory capacity Read Full
Following the death of a 17 years old female student from Singye Namgyel Primary school Migtena village, Athang geog under Wangduephodrang district on 28/08/14 at JDWNR Hospital with provisional diagnosis of viral encephalitis, a rapid response team from Wangduephodrang visited the area and mitigation measures were implemented. Another 8 years old female student expired on… [Read more]
Report on Investigation of suspected Dengue/Typhoid outbreak in Tserang, 2008 by Mr. Sonam Wangchuk, Public Health Laboratory, DoPH, MoH and Mrs. Karma Lhazeen, Vector-borne Diseases Control Program, DoPH, MoH ReadFull