A report on Tuberculosis in Monkeys (Macaca mulatta): A case study at Chittagong Zoo

Simian tuberculosis is one of the most important bacterial diseases of captive monkey in Bangladesh. A prevalence study to characterize Mycobacterium infecting tuberculous monkeys in captive managemental systems in Chittagong Zoo was carried out. In the present study, 14 rhesus monkeys which were newly arrived in the zoo and kept in the quarantine were used for the tuberculin skin testing (TST) to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis. An overall of 28.57% (4/14) was recorded by the TST. There were also marked differences in the prevalence of the disease within different age groups. In the tested positive animals, one was died within two days and showed tubercle in the lung and other organs in the post-mortem examination. The lung sample was collected for Zeihl-Neelsen revealed red colored tubercule bacilli.The above examination confirmed that, the macaques were suffering from tuberculosis

Nomophobia among university students: Prevalence, correlates, and the mediating role of smartphone use between Facebook addiction and nomophobia

Nomophobia (‘no mobile phone phobia’) has been growing issue worldwide in recent years and has been associated with a number of psychological and behavioral health-related problems. However, few studies have examined nomophobia in Bangladesh. Therefore, the severity and correlates of nomophobia, and the mediating role of smartphone use between Facebook addiction and nomophobia was investigated. A cross-sectional study utilizing 585 university students was conducted employing a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a survey in March 2022. The survey comprised questions related to socio-demographics, behavioral health, academic performance, nomophobia, smartphone addiction, Facebook addiction, insomnia, and depression. The mean score of nomophobia was 88.55 out of 140 (±21.71). The prevalence was 9.4% for mild nomophobia, 56.1% for moderate nomophobia, and 34.5% for severe nomophobia. First-year students had higher levels of nomophobia than other years. Significant predictors for nomophobia included daily duration of smartphone time, psychoactive substance use, and being in a relationship. Nomophobia was significantly associated with smartphone addiction, Facebook addiction, insomnia, and depression. Moreover, smartphone addiction significantly mediated the relationship between Facebook addiction and nomophobia. Strategies that help reduce daily smartphone time, and reduce psychoactive substance use might help reduce nomophobia prevalence among university students

Supporting people in extreme poverty with rehabilitation and therapy (SUPPORT CP) : a trial among families of children with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh

Aim: To test the efficacy of an integrated microfinance/livelihood and community-based rehabilitation (IMCBR) programme in improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and motor function of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and gain in social capital to their ultra-poor families in rural Bangladesh. Method: This was an open-label cluster randomized control trial. Children with CP aged 5 years or under were randomly allocated to three arms; Arm A: IMCBR; Arm B: community-based rehabilitation (CBR); and Arm C: care-as-usual. The CBR was modified with phone follow-up followed by home-based CBR at 2.5 months post-enrolment because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed. Results: Twenty-four clusters constituting 251 children–primary caregivers' dyads were assigned to three arms (Arm A = 80; Arm B = 82; Arm C = 89). Between baseline and endline, the percentage mean change in the physical functioning domain of HRQoL was highest in Arm A (30.0%) with a significant mean difference between Arm A and Arm B (p = 0.015). Improvement in the mean social capital score was significantly higher in Arm A compared to Arm C (p < 0.001). Interpretation: The findings suggest that IMCBR could improve the HRQoL of children with CP and the social capital of their ultra-poor families. Long-term follow-up of the trial participants and future exploration of such interventions are essential. The integrated livelihood and CBR programme holds potential to improve health and well-being of children with CP and their ultra-poor families. What this paper adds: Half of the families who received livelihoods were impacted by a cold-wave, suggesting the need for a more disaster-resilient livelihood asset. The integration of livelihood with community-based rehabilitation programme helps to improve health-related quality of life of children with cerebral palsy and the social capital of their ultra-poor families