High incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Bhutan: A cohort study based on national TB surveillance data.

Objectives: The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has made the elimination of TB difficult. Currently, there are limited data on MDR-TB and other drug-resistant TB in Bhutan. We aimed to estimate the incidence and explore the potential risk factors associated with MDR/pre-extensively drug-resistant (pre-XDR)-TB using comprehensive national TB data.

Epidemiological and laboratory characteristics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients in Bhutan, 2015-2019.

Background: Bhutan is no exception to the rising global threat of drug resistance tuberculosis (TB), particularly multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. Although drug resistance surveillance has been carried out in Bhutan since 2010, limited analysis reports are available. Therefore, we looked at data from 2015-2019 to understand patient characteristics.

Scrub Typhus Outbreak in a Remote Primary School, Bhutan, 2014.

Scrub typhus in Bhutan was first reported in 2009. We investigated an outbreak of scrub typhus in a remote primary school during August-October 2014. Delay in recognition and treatment resulted in 2 deaths from meningoencephalitis.

A Prospective Hospital-based Surveillance to Estimate Rotavirus Disease Burden in Bhutanese Children under 5 Years of Age.

As part of efforts to develop an informed policy for rotavirus vaccination, this prospective study was conducted to estimate the burden of rotavirus diarrhea among children less than 5 years old attended to the Department of Pediatrics, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), Thimphu, Bhutan. The duration of the study was three years, extending from February 2010 through December 2012. We estimated the frequency of hospitalization in the pediatric ward and dehydration treatment unit (DTU) for diarrhea and the number of events attributable to rotavirus infection among children under 5 years of age.

Dominance of emerging G9 and G12 genotypes and polymorphism of VP7 and VP4 of rotaviruses from Bhutanese children with severe diarrhea prior to the introduction of vaccine.

A prospective study was performed to determine the molecular characteristics of rotaviruses circulating among children aged <5 years in Bhutan. Stool samples were collected from February 2010 through January 2011 from children who attended two tertiary care hospitals in the capital Thimphu and the eastern regional headquarters, Mongar. The samples positive for rotavirus was mainly comprised genotype G1, followed by G12 and G9.

Novel human bufavirus genotype 3 in children with severe diarrhea, Bhutan.

We identified a new genotype of bufavirus, BuV3, in fecal samples (0.8%) collected to determine the etiology of diarrhea in children in Bhutan. Norovirus GII.

Complete Genome Sequences of Two Astrovirus MLB1 Strains from Bhutanese Children with Diarrhea.

In addition to the eight genotypes of classic human astroviruses, seven new genotypes have been reported from two novel clades, MLB and VA. However, the epidemiology of these highly diverse astroviruses remains largely unknown. We report here the complete genome sequences of two MLB1 strains from Bhutanese children with diarrhea.