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

One Health approach requires strong coordination among human health, animal health, and the environment. Speakers in a high-level consultation attended by political leadership from three ministries unequivocally committed to moving the One Health agenda forward for protecting Bangladesh from the threats of pandemics and epidemics along with the looming danger of antimicrobial resistance. Speakers also stressed the expansion of One Health action to the community for making it action-oriented. The meeting was attended by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Dr. Syedur Rahman, Honorable Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Honorable Special Assistant of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, who attended the consultation as chief guest and special guest, respectively. Secretaries, director generals, and other high-level officers attended the meeting. The honorable advisor to the Ministry of Family Welfare chaired the consultation.

Source - Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

During the second half of December (15–30 December), dengue transmission continued to decline compared to the first two weeks of the month. Reported cases decreased from 6,080 during 1–14 December to 2,384 during 15–30 December, representing a 60.8% reduction, while dengue-related deaths declined sharply from 27 to 4, an 85.2% decrease. As of 31 December 2025, Bangladesh recorded a cumulative 102,855 dengue-related hospitalizations and 413 deaths. Males accounted for 62.5% of reported cases, while deaths were relatively balanced between males (52.1%) and females (47.9%). In comparison, 2024 recorded a yearly cumulative total of 101,211 dengue-related hospitalizations and 575 deaths. While 2025 saw a modest 1.6% increase in reported cases, dengue-related mortality declined substantially, with a 28.2% reduction in deaths compared to 2024. Dengue transmission remains geographically widespread; however, the Dhaka Division continues to bear the highest burden, reporting 49,065 cases and 271 deaths, followed by the Barishal Division with 21,551 cases and 50 deaths.

Source: Dengue Dashboard, Bangladesh

High level of hospital-acquired antibiotic resistance in Chattogram

A hospital-based study in Chattogram examined antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacterium that causes serious hospital-acquired infections such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and wound infections, particularly in critically ill patients. Out of 325 clinical samples, 26 isolates were identified as A. baumannii. High levels of resistance were found to commonly used antibiotics, including carbapenems, which are often considered last-resort treatments. Four isolates were also resistant to colistin, another critical antibiotic. Genetic testing showed that most carbapenem resistance was linked to the NDM-1 gene, while colistin resistance was mainly associated with changes in the phoQ gene. These results highlight a growing threat of drug-resistant infections in Bangladeshi hospitals and the urgent need for improved surveillance and stronger antibiotic stewardship.

Source: ASM Journal

A recent study from the greater Chattogram region highlights chikungunya as an expanding public health threat with significant economic implications. No longer limited to short-term febrile illness, the disease is increasingly associated with chronic joint pain, reduced work capacity, and prolonged disability. Frequent misdiagnosis and inadequate reporting continue to underestimate the burden. Average treatment costs of BDT 10,000–15,000 (USD 82–123) pose a substantial challenge, particularly for low-income households. Young adults aged 18–35 years are most affected, with higher risk observed among urban residents and male patients, underscoring the growing health and productivity impact of chikungunya in urban Bangladesh.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Livestock suffer from feed shortage and disease in Rangpur during cold waves

Livestock farmers suffer due to inadequate fodder supplies and cold-related diseases. Milk production dropped sharply, as cows and buffaloes are not getting sufficient feed during the harsh weather. Farmers from the Char area (small river island) in the Brahmaputra River of Chilmari upazila complained of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in their herd. Rangpur Divisional Livestock Officer Dr. Abdul Hai Sarker said farmers are facing difficulties in rearing livestock during the ongoing cold wave and fog, but foot-and-mouth disease has not spread widely. “There are cases of cold-related fever and cough among cattle, but these are being treated effectively," he said. He advised farmers to cover cows and buffaloes with winter materials, especially jute sacks, and to surround cattle sheds with polythene to protect livestock from the cold.

Source: The Daily Star

Two new cases of Mpox have been confirmed in Lahore, raising the total number of cases to 17 in the city. Both patients, a 40-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man, tested positive for the disease at Mayo Hospital. Neither patient has a history of recent travel, suggesting possible local transmission. No major restrictions related to the spread of the disease have been announced so far. Monitoring efforts at hospitals and isolation of confirmed cases continue as authorities work to control the disease.

Source: Dialogue Pakistan

Australia has issued a public health advisory warning that counterfeit batches of the rabies vaccine Abhayrab have been circulating in India since 1 November 2023. The alert was issued on 22 December 2025 by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, noting that while the vaccine is not supplied in Australia, individuals vaccinated with Abhayrab while in India may be at risk. Indian Immunologicals Limited reported that it proactively identified a packaging anomaly linked to a specific batch (Batch #KA 24014) in January 2025 and immediately notified Indian regulators. The company is working with regulatory and law-enforcement authorities to contain the issue and has lodged a formal complaint to support the investigation.

(Health Victoria)

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 continues to drive widespread mortality in wild birds and mammals, causing significant ecological disruption worldwide. Since 2021, the panzootic has expanded across continents, affecting an unprecedented range of species and raising serious One Health and biodiversity concerns. The European Food Safety Authority reported exceptionally high HPAI activity during Europe’s 2025 autumn migration, with detections in wild birds four times higher than in 2024 and the highest levels recorded since 2016; over 20,000 common cranes died in Germany alone. In North America, H5 viruses remain widespread in wild birds and are increasingly detected in multiple mammalian species. Further south, new infections in southern elephant seals in South Georgia have compounded losses of nearly 50% of breeding females since 2023, while recurrent outbreaks in the Falkland Islands have contributed to continued declines in black-browed albatross breeding populations in 2024 and 2025. These events highlight the growing ecological and conservation impacts of HPAI, with potential long-term consequences for ecosystem stability

Source: WOAH