tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Int J Infect Dis
. 2026 Jun 24:108910.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108910. Online ahead of print.
Epidemiological and Genomic Surveillance of Influenza virus A, RSV B and SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh (2022-2024)
Mohammad Jubair[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mst Noorjahan Begum[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nure Sharaf Nower Samia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Md Shaheen Alam[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yeasir Karim[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Tazkia Ahmed[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eleonora Cella[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Saikt Rahman[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Mohammad Tanbir Habib[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Manjur H Khan[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Tahmina Shirin[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Fahmida Chowdhury[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Firdausi Qadri[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Mustafizur Rahman[SUP] 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: The establishment of integrated genomic surveillance for respiratory pathogens in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is critical for pandemic preparedness. This study aims to describe the implementation of an integrated multi-pathogen genomic surveillance system in Bangladesh and to present key genomic and epidemiological insights generated from this platform, rather than to provide a comprehensive epidemiological analysis.
Methods: From October 2022 to March 2024, surveillance was conducted across nine sentinel hospitals. Samples from over 23,000 patients meeting WHO SARI/ILI case definitions were tested by multiplex RT-PCR. Positive samples with high viral load (Ct ≤27) underwent whole-genome sequencing using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina platforms.
Results: RSV was the leading cause of pediatric SARI (34.3% in children under five), exhibiting a biphasic seasonal pattern. Influenza resurged July-August 2023 with monsoon-season peaks, while SARS-CoV-2 showed persistent, low-level transmission. Genomic analysis of 544 isolates revealed localized evolution: RSV B formed a monophyletic B.D.E.1 clade with conserved glycoprotein mutations; influenza A viruses identified belonged to two subtypes, H1N1 and H3N2, which segregated into two phylogenetically distinct clades; and SARS-CoV-2 followed global Omicron lineage progression.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of an integrated genomic surveillance platform in a resource-limited setting, generating evidence that may support public health planning and preparedness.
Keywords: Bangladesh; Genomic epidemiology; LMIC health systems; Pandemic preparedness; Respiratory pathogen surveillance.
. 2026 Jun 24:108910.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108910. Online ahead of print.
Epidemiological and Genomic Surveillance of Influenza virus A, RSV B and SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh (2022-2024)
Mohammad Jubair[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mst Noorjahan Begum[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nure Sharaf Nower Samia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Md Shaheen Alam[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yeasir Karim[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Tazkia Ahmed[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eleonora Cella[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Saikt Rahman[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Mohammad Tanbir Habib[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Manjur H Khan[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Tahmina Shirin[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Fahmida Chowdhury[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Firdausi Qadri[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Mustafizur Rahman[SUP] 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 42341905
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108910
Background: The establishment of integrated genomic surveillance for respiratory pathogens in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is critical for pandemic preparedness. This study aims to describe the implementation of an integrated multi-pathogen genomic surveillance system in Bangladesh and to present key genomic and epidemiological insights generated from this platform, rather than to provide a comprehensive epidemiological analysis.
Methods: From October 2022 to March 2024, surveillance was conducted across nine sentinel hospitals. Samples from over 23,000 patients meeting WHO SARI/ILI case definitions were tested by multiplex RT-PCR. Positive samples with high viral load (Ct ≤27) underwent whole-genome sequencing using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina platforms.
Results: RSV was the leading cause of pediatric SARI (34.3% in children under five), exhibiting a biphasic seasonal pattern. Influenza resurged July-August 2023 with monsoon-season peaks, while SARS-CoV-2 showed persistent, low-level transmission. Genomic analysis of 544 isolates revealed localized evolution: RSV B formed a monophyletic B.D.E.1 clade with conserved glycoprotein mutations; influenza A viruses identified belonged to two subtypes, H1N1 and H3N2, which segregated into two phylogenetically distinct clades; and SARS-CoV-2 followed global Omicron lineage progression.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of an integrated genomic surveillance platform in a resource-limited setting, generating evidence that may support public health planning and preparedness.
Keywords: Bangladesh; Genomic epidemiology; LMIC health systems; Pandemic preparedness; Respiratory pathogen surveillance.