Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to share the seventh issue of the biweekly update from the One Health Secretariat, Bangladesh. This edition highlights key developments and news on diseases and conditions at the human-animal-wildlife interface.

We are also glad to share that all previous issues are now available in this archive. Thank you for your continued support and engagement. We welcome your feedback and thoughts.

Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions with us.

Dr. Sabbir Haider

Dr. Nure Alam

Dr. Farhana Rahman

One Health Secretariat, Bangladesh

Dengue transmission declined notably during the first half of December; dengue cases fell by 42.3%, from 10,539 cases in the second half of November to 6,080 cases between 1–14 December. Dengue- related deaths also declined by 47.1%, from 51 to 27, during the same period. As of 14 December 2025, the country has recorded a total of 100,471 dengue-related hospitalizations and 409 deaths. Men accounted for 62.5% of reported cases, while deaths were relatively balanced between males (52%) and females (48%). Dengue remains geographically widespread; however, Dhaka division continues to carry the heaviest burden with 47,882 cases and 269 deaths, followed by Barishal division (21,283 cases and 50 deaths).

Source: Dengue Dashborad

In the last week of November 2025, 231 respiratory samples were tested through the integrated SARS-CoV-2 and influenza surveillance platform. Two samples (0.9%) tested positive for influenza, while no SARS-CoV-2 infections were detected based on currently available data. Cumulatively in 2025, 4,286 (21.0%) of 20,390 samples tested positive for influenza. Influenza type B (Victoria) accounted for nearly half of the cases (49.2%), followed by A/H3 (34.6%), A(H1N1) (16.2%), and A/H5 (0.05%).
Source: WCO-BAN Epi-Update

Bangladesh has recorded its highest year-on-year increase in new HIV infection cases since 2000, with 1,891 new infections between November 2024 and October 2025, which is 453 more than the previous year. This rise occurred despite approximately 200,000 fewer HIV tests, largely due to reduced screening among outgoing migrants. Among the newly identified cases, 217 are Rohingya individuals. While new infections reached a 25-year high, HIV-related deaths fell from 326 to 254, even as treatment coverage dropped to 74% since more patients were classified as lost to follow-up. Officials note that expanded testing among key populations partly explains the spike, though service disruptions following the closure of the operations program in 2024 may have played a role. An estimated 18% of people living with HIV remain unaware of their status, highlighting the urgent need to expand testing, strengthen program coordination, and improve community-level awareness and prevention.

Source: The Daily Star

Bangladesh is set to receive a USD 25 million grant to establish the Bangladesh One Health Surveillance and Early Warning System (BOHSEWS), an integrated, multi-source surveillance platform linking human, animal, wildlife, and environmental health. The grant is part of the Pandemic Fund’s third Call of Proposals, under which the Governing Board has approved USD 500 million to support 20 projects across 32 low- and middle-income countries to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) capacities. Since its launch in February 2023, the Pandemic Fund has mobilized over USD 1.1 billion across three funding rounds, benefiting 98 countries across six regions. BOHSEWS aims to improve the early spotting of new threats and allow quick, organized sharing of information using compatible digital tools and shared data systems at both national and regional levels.

Source: Pandemic Fund

Two confirmed cases and one suspected case of mpox were reported from Lahore's Meo Hospital, on 11 December 2025. All patients have been kept at the hospital’s isolation ward.

Source: ARY News

Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD), popularly known as Monkey Fever, has surfaced unusually early in the Malnad region of Karnataka's Shivamogga district. Usually observed in January-February, a 50-year-old woman from Billodi village in Hosanagara taluk tested positive for the virus in November. She had been experiencing persistent symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, and weakness and was referred for further testing after initial treatment at a local government hospital. Laboratory results confirmed KFD, and she is currently receiving treatment at Manipal Hospital, where her condition is reported to be gradually stabilizing.

Source: Asia Net News

A suspected case of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), commonly called Congo fever, was reported in Amreli district, Gujarat. An 18-year-old man developed fever and vomiting and initially tested positive for dengue. After referral to Ahmedabad for further treatment, doctors suspected Congo fever and sent his samples to a laboratory in Pune on 3 December 2025 for confirmation.

Source: Times of India

Two more deaths linked to scrub typhus have been reported in Andhra Pradesh, taking the toll to seven during this outbreak. As of 12 December, 50 scrub typhus cases had been reported in this state. Rapid response teams have intensified field-level measures to control further spread.

Source: ETV Bharat

The EU has outlined a preparedness plan to prevent avian influenza (H5N1) from adapting to human-to-human transmission. The plan calls for enhanced surveillance, strengthened hospital capacity, and public health measures such as mask use and quarantine for infected individuals. H5N1 has spread widely among bird and mammal populations recently, decimating poultry flocks in Europe and infecting dairy herds in the United States. Experts warn that the virus may be only one major mutation away from being able to spread between people, a scenario that would cause a new pandemic. The EU plan aims to ensure critical systems and response measures are in place before such a scenario occurs.

Source: Telegraph

A large cohort study suggests that baloxavir (Xofluza) may lower the risk of hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits more effectively than oseltamivir (Tamiflu) among influenza patients. Researchers analyzed electronic health record data from 69 healthcare organizations, identifying over 75,000 treated patients from 2016 to 2023. After adjusting for baseline differences, outcomes for 1,592 matched patients in each antiviral group were compared. Baloxavir users consistently experienced fewer hospitalizations in patients following up to six months. Study limitations include the retrospective design, a relatively small baloxavir sample, limited racial diversity, and a lack of patient-reported outcomes. Authors recommend further research in diverse populations and call for inclusion of cost-effectiveness and patient-reported measures.

Source: CIDRAP