Mapping of dressed and processed poultry products in Bangladesh: Identifying the food safety risks for policy intervention.

Bangladesh's commercial poultry production is growing rapidly, including the commercial processing of poultry. This expansion of poultry processing plants is fueled by the belief that this sub-sector provides safer food and has less food-borne disease risks compared to traditional live bird markets (LBMs). The purpose of this study is to describe Bangladesh's dressed and processed poultry production and distribution network (PDN), identify what and where quality control occurs, and suggest where improvements could be made. Engaging with PDN for dressed and processed poultry, we used in-depth interviews with key informants to identify the stakeholders involved and their connections with other poultry PDNs. In addition, we mapped out the supply and distribution of dressed and processed poultry and quality control processes occurring throughout the network. We argue that dressed and processed poultry PDNs are closely connected with traditional PDNs such as LBMs, with multiple crossover points between them. Also, there is a lack of consistency in quality control testing and a lack of meat traceability. Consequently, perceptions of dressed and processed poultry being safer than birds from LBMs needs to be treated with caution. Otherwise, unsubstantiated consumer confidence in dressed poultry may inadvertently increase the risk of food-borne diseases from these products.

Knowledge and practice of antimicrobial usage and resistance among poultry farmers: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

A systematic review was conducted to summarize and synthesize the existing research on poultry farmers' knowledge, practices, and awareness regarding antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It was undertaken by systematically searching databases, screening and characterizing relevant studies, extracting data, and evaluating the risk of bias. The outcomes were stratified into several subgroups, and pooled prevalence of each subgroup was calculated using a random-effect meta-analysis. Meta-regression was used for selected outcomes to further investigate the potential sources of heterogeneity across studies. Poultry farmers had knowledge and practice gaps on antimicrobial use. While most (65%; 95% CI: 50%-80%) used antimicrobials on poultry for therapeutic purposes, a portion used them to prevent disease (45%; 95% CI: 34%-55%) or boost growth (29%; 95% CI: 13%-46%) and productivity (20%; 95% CI: 6%-34%). 60% (95% CI: 50%-69%) of farmers approached veterinarians for antimicrobial advice, although many consulted drug sellers and fellow farmers. Insufficient antimicrobial residue knowledge (45%; 95% CI: 29%-62%), as well as inadequate awareness and faulty practice on withdrawal periods, were identified. Only 43% (95% CI: 34%-53%) were knowledgeable about AMR. Around half of farmers understood AMR's impacts on poultry, human health, and the environment. Meta-regression demonstrated that the source of heterogeneity for therapeutic antimicrobial use was the type of poultry farmers sampled and their educational qualifications; geographical region was significantly associated with antimicrobial usage based on farmers' experience; and the country's economic state was correlated with farmers' understanding of antimicrobial residue. This study recommends implementing legislation for judicious antimicrobial use, and farmer awareness campaigns to reinforce knowledge about prudent AMU and AMR.

Measures, Gaps, and Mitigation Strategies in Bangladesh's COVID-19 Response.

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.

Clinico-epidemiological investigation of feline panleukopenia and parvoviral enteritis in the two largest pet hospitals in Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVE: A clinico-epidemiological study was conducted at two veterinary hospitals in Dhaka to evaluate the prevalence of parvoviral enteritis (PVE) in dogs and feline panleukopenia (FPL) in cats, to detect factors associated with them, and to identify their common clinical signs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinico-epidemiological data were collected for a total of 88 dogs and 129 cats which were presented to the hospitals, entered into MS excel 2010, and then transferred to STATA-14 software for conducting descriptive and univariable statistical analyses (Fisher's exact test). The maps showing the spatial distribution of PVE and FPL were produced by using QGIS software version 2.18.13. RESULTS: PVE in dogs and FPL in cats had the highest prevalence compared to other diseases (34.1%; 95% confidence interval: 24.3-44.9; N = 88 and 20.2%; 95% confidence interval: 13.6-28.1; N = 129, respectively). Young age (43.8%), poor body condition (58.4%), and exotic breeds (44.2%) were significantly associated with the occurrence of PVE (p ≤ 0.05). Poor body condition (27.8%) and non-vaccination status (26.7%) were associated with FPL (p ≤ 0.05). Both PVE and FPL showed clinical signs of being off-feed, frequent vomiting, weakness, and moderate dehydration. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of PVE and FPL indicates that they are common in dogs and cats in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The factors related to PVE are young age, exotic breed, and poor body condition score (BCS), and FPL are poor BCS and non-vaccination. Specific measures such as care during younger age, good nutrition, and routine vaccination are needed to prevent and control PVE and FPL in Dhaka's dog and cat population.