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Published on: November 7, 2018
The Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella Surveillance Study in Bangladesh
Farhana Khanam1, Md Taufiqul Islam1, Taufiqur Rahman Bhuiyan1
1Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Insights
Updated surveillance of Shigella diarrhea in Bangladeshi children under five provides crucial data. This research aims to determine current incidence rates and disease consequences to inform vaccine trials.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
- Global Health
Background:
- Shigella is a significant cause of diarrhea in Bangladeshi children under five.
- Previous data on Shigella incidence and consequences are over a decade old and inconsistently gathered.
- There is a need for updated epidemiological data to guide public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the current incidence rate of Shigella diarrhea in Bangladeshi children aged 6-35 months.
- To document the clinical and anthropometric consequences of Shigella diarrhea in this age group.
- To provide data supporting the development and implementation of Shigella vaccine trials.
Main Methods:
- Facility-based disease surveillance conducted over two years.
- Part of the Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella Surveillance Study consortium.
- Standardization of laboratory techniques, healthcare utilization surveys, and clinical data collection across multiple international sites.
Main Results:
- The study aims to establish an updated incidence rate for Shigella diarrhea.
- The research will document the spectrum of disease consequences.
- Data will be collected from the Bangladesh site within a global surveillance network.
Conclusions:
- Updated epidemiological data on Shigella diarrhea in Bangladeshi children is essential.
- Findings will inform policymakers regarding disease burden and management.
- The study will generate critical data to facilitate future Shigella vaccine trials in high-burden settings.
Background:
Shigella is an important cause of diarrhea in Bangladeshi children <5 years of age, with an incidence rate of 4.6 per 100 person-years. However, the report was more than a decade old, and data on Shigella consequences are similarly outdated and heterogeneously collected.
Methods:
Facility-based disease surveillance is planned to be carried out under the Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella Surveillance Study consortium for 2 years with aims to optimize and standardize laboratory techniques and healthcare utilization and coverage survey, clinical and anthropometric data collection, safety monitoring and responsiveness, and other related activities. The EFGH is a cohesive network of multidisciplinary experts, capable of operating in concert to conduct the study to generate data that will pave the way for potential Shigella vaccine trials in settings with high disease burden. The study will be conducted within 7 country sites in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Conclusions:
We outline the features of the Bangladesh site as part of this multisite surveillance network to determine an updated incidence rate and document the consequences of Shigella diarrhea in children aged 6-35 months, which will help inform policymakers and to implement the future vaccine trials.
