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Bangladesh has made significant progress towards elimination of visceral leishmaniasis, and is on track to achieve its target of less than one case per 10,000 inhabitants in each subdistrict in 2017. As the incidence of disease falls, it is likely that the political capital and financial resources dedicated towards the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis may decrease, raising the prospect of disease resurgence. Policy memos may play a crucial role during the transition of the elimination plan from the 'attack' to the 'consolidation' and 'maintenance' phases, highlighting key stakeholders and areas where ongoing investment is crucial. An example of a policy brief is outlined in this paper. The background to the current elimination efforts is highlighted, with emphasis on remaining uncertainties including the impact of disease reservoirs and sustainable surveillance strategies. A stakeholder map is provided outlining the current and projected future activities of key bodies. Identification of key stakeholders subsequently frames the discussion of three key policy recommendations in the Bangladeshi context for the transition to the consolidation and maintenance phases of the elimination program. Recommendations include determining optimal vector control and surveillance strategies, shifting the emphasis towards horizontal integration of disease programs, and prioritising remaining research questions with a focus on operational and technical capacity. Achieving elimination is as much a political as a scientific question. Integrating the discussion of key stakeholders with policy priorities and the research agenda provides a novel insight into potential pathways forwards in the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis in Bangladesh and in the rest of the Indian subcontinent.

Immediately before deployment (Fall 2012) and after deployment (Spring 2013) in support of United Nations peacekeeping operations, Mongolian Armed Forces medical personnel obtained serum samples from the first contingent of Mongolian peacekeepers deploying to South Sudan to monitor serologic evidence of exposure to diseases that cause acute febrile illness. A total of 632 paired samples were tested for IgG antibody for the following (number of seroconversions in parentheses): Rickettsia (spotted fever and typhus groups) (25), West Nile fever virus (WNV) (23), Coxiella burnetii (causative agent of Q fever) (12), dengue virus (8), leptospirosis (6), chikungunya virus (0), Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever virus (0), Japanese encephalitis virus (0), and Rift Valley fever virus (0). There was also evidence of exposure to WNV, C. burnetii, leptospirosis, and Rickettsia before deployment., (© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)