Comparison of mark-resight methods to estimate abundance and rabies vaccination coverage of free-roaming dogs in two urban areas of south Bhutan.

In Bhutan, Capture-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (CNVR) programs have been implemented to manage the dog population and control rabies, but no detailed evaluation has been done to assess their coverage and impact. We compared estimates of the dog population using three analytical methods: Lincoln-Petersen index, the Chapman estimate, and the logit-normal mixed effects model, and a varying number of count periods at different times of the day to recommend a protocol for applying the mark-resight framework to estimate free-roaming dog population abundance. We assessed the coverage of the CNVR program by estimating the proportion of dogs that were ear-notched and visually scored the health and skin condition of free-roaming dogs in Gelephu and Phuentsholing towns in south Bhutan, bordering India, in September-October 2012.

Childhood tuberculosis in Bhutan: profile and treatment outcomes.

Setting: All hospitals and health centres under the National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTCP) in Bhutan.

Objective: To describe the number and proportion of childhood tuberculosis (TB) cases registered under the NTCP in 2010, their demographic and clinical characteristics and any associations with treatment outcomes.

Design: Retrospective cohort study involving a review of TB treatment cards and registers.