Animal husbandry practices in rural Bangladesh: potential risk factors for antimicrobial drug resistance and emerging diseases.

Antimicrobial drug administration to household livestock may put humans and animals at risk for acquisition of antimicrobial drug-resistant pathogens. To describe animal husbandry practices, including animal healthcare-seeking and antimicrobial drug use in rural Bangladesh, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with key informants, including female household members (n = 79), village doctors (n = 10), and pharmaceutical representatives, veterinarians, and government officials (n = 27), and performed observations at animal health clinics (n = 3). Prevalent animal husbandry practices that may put persons at risk for acquisition of pathogens included shared housing and water for animals and humans, antimicrobial drug use for humans and animals, and crowding.

Local understandings of vulnerability and protection during the neonatal period in Sylhet District, Bangladesh: a qualitative study.

Background: Understanding of local knowledge and practices relating to the newborn period, as locally defined, is needed in the development of interventions to reduce neonatal mortality. We describe the organisation of the neonatal period in Sylhet District, Bangladesh, the perceived threats to the well-being of neonates, and the ways in which families seek to protect them.

Methods: We did 39 in-depth, unstructured, qualitative interviews with mothers, fathers, and grandmothers of neonates, and traditional birth attendants.