National Clinical Guidance for the Management of Cardiovascular Intervention in the COVID-19 Pandemic: From Bangladesh Society of Cardiovascular Interventions (BSCI).

Since the first recorded case of SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh on 8th March 2020, COVID-19 has spread widely through different regions of the country, resulting in a necessity to re-evaluate the delivery of cardiovascular services, particularly procedures pertaining to interventional cardiology in resource-limited settings. Given its robust capacity for human-to-human transmission and potential of being a nosocomial source of infection, the disease has specific implications on healthcare systems and health care professionals faced with performing essential cardiac procedures in patients with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. The limited resources in terms of cardiac catheterization laboratories that can be designated to treat only COVID positive patients are further compounded by the additional challenges of unavailability of widespread rapid testing on-site at tertiary cardiac hospitals in Bangladesh. This document prepared for our nation by the Bangladesh Society of Cardiovascular Interventions (BSCI) is intended to serve as a clinical practice guideline for cardiovascular health care professionals, with a focus on modifying standard practice of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to ensure continuation of adequate and timely treatment of cardiovascular emergencies avoiding hospital-based transmission of SARS-COV-2 among healthcare professionals and the patients. This is an evolving document based on currently available global data and is tailored to healthcare systems in Bangladesh with particular focus on, but not limited to, invasive cardiology facilities (cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology & pacing labs). This guideline is limited to the provision of cardiovascular care, and it is expected that specific targeted pharmaco-therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 be prescribed as stipulated by the National Guidelines on Clinical Management of Corona virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) published by the Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh.

Prevalence of helminth parasites of dogs in Lusaka, Zambia.

Eighty-five dogs were examined and the numbers and types of helminth parasites found were recorded. Forty per cent of the dogs were infected with one or more helminth parasites. The most prevalent helminths were the cestodes Dipylidium caninum (24.7%) and Taenia hydatigena (17.64%). Infections were evenly distributed with sex of host. Juvenile dogs were more commonly infected with Toxocara canis than adults whereas all other helminths were found more in adult dogs.

The prevalence of hydatid cysts in slaughtered cattle in Bangladesh.

Of 10,362 cattle examined in Bangladesh, 4,368 (42.15%) harboured hydatid cysts. One to three-year-old cattle had the lowest (11.34%) and those over nine years old the highest (93.21%) infections. Organ involvement was as follows: liver 35.18%, lungs 32.02%, spleen 0.80%, heart 0.41%, kidney 0.25%, omentum 0.11% and both liver and lungs 31.20%. Fertile cysts occurred in 8.11%, sterile in 74.91%, calcified in 9.42%, suppurative in 6.04% and undeveloped in 1.51% of animals.

Echinococcus granulosus in dogs in Bangladesh.

A survey was carried out during the period February 1975 to January 1978 to find the frequency of Echinococcus granulosus in dogs. A total of 611 dogs originating from different places of the country were examined. The frequency of infection varied considerably, the highest (75.79%) being recorded in dogs in and around the slaughterhouses. The average frequency was 62.52%. The seasonal variations of the infection were determined, the lowest (47.09%) and the highest (78.37%) being January to March and October to December, respectively.