Respiratory Infections
Our Respiratory Infections research focuses on improving the understanding, diagnosis, and management of respiratory diseases in Sri Lanka. These publications explore respiratory viral infections, antimicrobial use, diagnostic innovations, influenza surveillance, and patient outcomes to support evidence-based clinical care and strengthen public health responses.
Abstracts
Palangasinghe D, De Zoysa W, Dilshan B, Gamage J, Bodinayake C, Iglesias-Ussel M, Nagahawatte A, Olague S, Kurukulasooriya R, Weerasinghe S, Ngocho J, Chakraborty H, Obale A, Ostbye T, Naggie S, Woods CW, Myers E, Tillekeratne LG*, Watt MH*. Perspectives from Sri Lankan physicians on current and future tools for diagnosing and managing lower respiratory tract infections. ID Week 2025, Washington, DC, USA, October 2025.
Dilshan UHBY, Weishampel ZA, Nagahawatte AdeS, Wijayaratne GB, Wickramasinghe SS, Nicholson BP, Anderson J, Vanderburg S, Fonseka CL, Premamali MHM, Kurukulasooriya MRP, Abusalem L, Obale A, Piyasiri B, Østbye T, Woods CW, Tillekeratne LG, Bodinayake CK. Use of the BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® Pneumonia plus Panel to characterize the etiology of lower respiratory tract infections in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Faculty of Medicine Academic Sessions (FMAS), May 2025. Read…
Weerasinghe SA, Bodinayake CK, Nagahawatte ADS, O’Grady LN, Iglesias-Ussel MD, Anderson J, Brown A, Obale A, Nix C, Rolfe R, Woodhouse EW, Wijayaratne GB, Dilshan UHBY, Gamage J, Kurukulasooriya MRP, Premamali MHM, Nicholson BP, Ko ER, Tsalik EL, McClain MT, Myers RA, Woods CW, Burke TW, Tillekeratne LG. Host gene expression in the nasopharynx can discriminate viral and bacterial lower respiratory tract infection. Faculty of Medicine Academic Sessions (FMAS), May 2025. Read…
Wickramasinghe, Weishampel ZA, Nagahawatte ADS, Wijayratne WMDGB, Nicholson BP, Anderson J, Vanderburg, Fonseka CL, Premamali MHM, Dilshan UHBY, Kurukulasooriya MRP, Piyasiri B, Østbye T, Woods CW, Abusalem L, Obale A, Tillekeratne LG, Bodinayake CK. “Use of the rapid, multiplex PCR panel for the identification of respiratory pathogens and the resistance genes among patients admitted with lower respiratory tract infections to a tertiary care hospital in Southern Province, Sri Lanka” Read…
De Zoysa, P.D.W.D., Palangasinghe, D., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Gamage J., Iglesias-Ussel, M.D., Olague, S., Senadheera B., Kurukulasooriya R., Obale, O., Chakraborty, H., Ostbye, T., Woods, C.W., Myers, E., Watt, M., Tillekeratne, L.G., “Clinicians’ perceptions of electronic clinical decision support tools to manage patients with lower respiratory tract infections in Sri Lanka,” in ESCMID Global, Barcelona, Spain, 2024. Read…
Palangasinghe, D.R., De Zoysa P.D.W.D., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Gamage, J., Iglesias-Ussel, M.D., Olague, S., Senadheera, B., Kurukulasooriya, R., Obale, O., Chakraborty, H., Ostbye, T., Woods, C.W., Myers, E., Watt, M., Tillekeratne, L.G., “Physicians’ experience on electronic clinical decision support tools on lower respiratory tract infections in Sri Lanka,” in Faculty of Medicine Academic Sessions, University of Ruhuna, 2024. Read…
Melle, D.T.V., Asbroek, G.T., Rolfe, R.J., Vanderburg, S., Abeysinghe, Y.W., Halloluwa, C., Zhang, H.L., Ostbye, T., Kurukulasooriya, R., Sheng, T., Kanchana, S., Wijayaratne, G., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A., Watt, M.H., Woods, C.W., de Silva, V. and Tillekeratne, G. (2021). Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes Regarding Antibiotic Use for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: Insights from Patients in Sri Lanka. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, [online] 105(06). doi:https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0419.
Melle, D.T.V., ten Asbroek, G.H.A., Vanderburg, S., Abeysinghe, Y.W., Halloluwa, C., Zhang, H.L., Sheng, T., Sewwandi, K., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Woods, C.W., Silva, V.D. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2019). 1637. Antibiotic Use in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: Insights From Patient Interviews in Sri Lanka. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 6(Supplement_2), pp.S597–S597. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofz360.1501.
Neighbors, C.E., Myers, E.R., Weerasinghe, N.P., Wijayaratne, G.B., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Tillekeratne, L.G. and Woods, C.W. (2023). Influenza Vaccination Implementation in Sri Lanka: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. The Health Economic Value of Vaccines, 11(5). doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11050932.
Tillekeratne, L., Bodinayake, C., Simmons, R., Nagahawatte, A., Devasiri, V., Vanderburg, S. and Woods, C. (2018). Acute respiratory viral infections: an important cause of admissions for acute febrile illness in the southern province, sri lanka. American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 99, pp.411–411.
Tillekeratne, L., Suchindran, S., Ko, E., Petzold, E., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A. and Woods, C. (2018). A gene expression signature accurately identifies viral acute respiratory infections in a Sri Lankan population. American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 99, pp.641–642.
Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Devasiri, V., Nicholson, B.P., Vanderburg, S., Kurukulasooriya, R., Østybe, T., Reller, M.E. and Woods, C.W. (2018). Acute Respiratory Viral Infections: an important cause of admissions for Febrile Illnesses in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. International Conference on Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance” organized by Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists Annual Sessions, 16(1), pp.42-42.
Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Vidanagama, D., Devasiri, V., Arachchi, W.K., Kurukulasooriya, R., De Silva, D., Ostbye, T., Reller, M.E. and Woods, C.W., 2014, December. 1483 High Rate of Antibiotic Prescriptions for Outpatients with Influenza-Like Illness in Southern Sri Lanka. In Open Forum Infectious Diseases (Vol. 1, No. Suppl 1, p. S392). Oxford University Press. Read…
Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Vidanagama, D., Devasiri, V., Arachchi, W.K., Kurukulasooriya, R., Silva, D.D., Ostbye, T., Reller, M.E. and Woods, C.W. (2015). Use of Rapid Influenza Testing to Reduce Antibiotic Use Among Outpatients with Influenza-Like Illness, Southern Sri Lanka,. 25th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Read…
Vanderburg, S., Kodikara, I., Sellathurai, M., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A., Woods, C., Riviello, E.D. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2019). A Novel Lung Ultrasound Training Program to Predict Severity of Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Sri Lanka. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 199, pp.A3674–A3674. conference.2019.199.1_meetingabstracts.a3674. doi:https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm
Vanderburg, S., Kodikara, I., Tharakan, A., Sheng, T., Gallis, J.A., Sellathurai, M., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A., Wijayaratne, G.B., Woods, C.W., Tillekeratne, L.G. and Riviello, E.D. (2023). A Practical Approach to Lung Ultrasound Training in Sri Lanka. ATS Scholar, 4(2), pp.126–131. doi:https://doi.org/10.34197/ats-scholar.2022-0072br.
Vanderburg, S., Sheng, T., Wijayaratne, G., Dabrera, T., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Kurukulasooriya, R., Drew, R., Woods, C.W. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2019). Frequent Inappropriate Antimicrobial Use for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Sri Lanka. Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program 21st International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Rim.
Vanderburg, S., Sheng, T., Wijayaratne, G., Dabrera, T., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2018). Frequent empiric broad-spectrum antimicrobial use among hospitalized patients with lower respiratory tract infection in southern Sri Lanka. Respirology, 23(S2), pp.186–187. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/resp.13420_269.
Wijayaratne, W.M.D.G.B., Vanderburg, S., Devasiri, V., Nagahawatte, A., Bodinayake, C.K., Petzold, E. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2019). An outbreak of adenovirus causing severe respiratory illness in southern Sri Lanka, 2018. American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 101, pp.175–175.
Wijayaratne, W.M.D.G.B., Vanderburg, S., Tillekeratne, G., Woods, C., Nagahawatte, A., Bodinayake, C.K., Devasiri, V., Nicholson, B.P., Petzold, E., Gunasena, S., Danthanarayana, N., Piyasiri, B., Sellaturai, M., Weerasinghe, N.P., Fonseka, C.L., Kurukulasooriya, R. and Gunasekara, N.C. (2019). The Respiratory virus outbreak in Southern Sri Lanka in 2018. Annual Scientific Session of the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists
Vanderburg, S., Sheng, T., Bodinayake, C., Devasiri, V., Nagahawatte, A., Wijayaratne, G., Kurukulasooriya, R., Kanchana, S., Wickramasinghe, T., Dilshan, B. and De Silva, D., 2022. Elevated Procalcitonin Levels Are Associated with Severity of Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Sri Lanka. (pp. A3095-A3095). American Thoracic Society.
Abstracts
Palangasinghe D, De Zoysa W, Dilshan B, Gamage J, Bodinayake C, Iglesias-Ussel M, Nagahawatte A, Olague S, Kurukulasooriya R, Weerasinghe S, Ngocho J, Chakraborty H, Obale A, Ostbye T, Naggie S, Woods CW, Myers E, Tillekeratne LG*, Watt MH*. Perspectives from Sri Lankan physicians on current and future tools for diagnosing and managing lower respiratory tract infections. ID Week 2025, Washington, DC, USA, October 2025.
Dilshan UHBY, Weishampel ZA, Nagahawatte AdeS, Wijayaratne GB, Wickramasinghe SS, Nicholson BP, Anderson J, Vanderburg S, Fonseka CL, Premamali MHM, Kurukulasooriya MRP, Abusalem L, Obale A, Piyasiri B, Østbye T, Woods CW, Tillekeratne LG, Bodinayake CK. Use of the BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® Pneumonia plus Panel to characterize the etiology of lower respiratory tract infections in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Faculty of Medicine Academic Sessions (FMAS), May 2025. Read…
Weerasinghe SA, Bodinayake CK, Nagahawatte ADS, O’Grady LN, Iglesias-Ussel MD, Anderson J, Brown A, Obale A, Nix C, Rolfe R, Woodhouse EW, Wijayaratne GB, Dilshan UHBY, Gamage J, Kurukulasooriya MRP, Premamali MHM, Nicholson BP, Ko ER, Tsalik EL, McClain MT, Myers RA, Woods CW, Burke TW, Tillekeratne LG. Host gene expression in the nasopharynx can discriminate viral and bacterial lower respiratory tract infection. Faculty of Medicine Academic Sessions (FMAS), May 2025. Read…
Wickramasinghe, Weishampel ZA, Nagahawatte ADS, Wijayratne WMDGB, Nicholson BP, Anderson J, Vanderburg, Fonseka CL, Premamali MHM, Dilshan UHBY, Kurukulasooriya MRP, Piyasiri B, Østbye T, Woods CW, Abusalem L, Obale A, Tillekeratne LG, Bodinayake CK. “Use of the rapid, multiplex PCR panel for the identification of respiratory pathogens and the resistance genes among patients admitted with lower respiratory tract infections to a tertiary care hospital in Southern Province, Sri Lanka” Read…
De Zoysa, P.D.W.D., Palangasinghe, D., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Gamage J., Iglesias-Ussel, M.D., Olague, S., Senadheera B., Kurukulasooriya R., Obale, O., Chakraborty, H., Ostbye, T., Woods, C.W., Myers, E., Watt, M., Tillekeratne, L.G., “Clinicians’ perceptions of electronic clinical decision support tools to manage patients with lower respiratory tract infections in Sri Lanka,” in ESCMID Global, Barcelona, Spain, 2024. Read…
Palangasinghe, D.R., De Zoysa P.D.W.D., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Gamage, J., Iglesias-Ussel, M.D., Olague, S., Senadheera, B., Kurukulasooriya, R., Obale, O., Chakraborty, H., Ostbye, T., Woods, C.W., Myers, E., Watt, M., Tillekeratne, L.G., “Physicians’ experience on electronic clinical decision support tools on lower respiratory tract infections in Sri Lanka,” in Faculty of Medicine Academic Sessions, University of Ruhuna, 2024. Read…
Melle, D.T.V., Asbroek, G.T., Rolfe, R.J., Vanderburg, S., Abeysinghe, Y.W., Halloluwa, C., Zhang, H.L., Ostbye, T., Kurukulasooriya, R., Sheng, T., Kanchana, S., Wijayaratne, G., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A., Watt, M.H., Woods, C.W., de Silva, V. and Tillekeratne, G. (2021). Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes Regarding Antibiotic Use for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: Insights from Patients in Sri Lanka. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, [online] 105(06). doi:https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0419.
Melle, D.T.V., ten Asbroek, G.H.A., Vanderburg, S., Abeysinghe, Y.W., Halloluwa, C., Zhang, H.L., Sheng, T., Sewwandi, K., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Woods, C.W., Silva, V.D. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2019). 1637. Antibiotic Use in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: Insights From Patient Interviews in Sri Lanka. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 6(Supplement_2), pp.S597–S597. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofz360.1501.
Neighbors, C.E., Myers, E.R., Weerasinghe, N.P., Wijayaratne, G.B., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Tillekeratne, L.G. and Woods, C.W. (2023). Influenza Vaccination Implementation in Sri Lanka: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. The Health Economic Value of Vaccines, 11(5). doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11050932.
Tillekeratne, L., Bodinayake, C., Simmons, R., Nagahawatte, A., Devasiri, V., Vanderburg, S. and Woods, C. (2018). Acute respiratory viral infections: an important cause of admissions for acute febrile illness in the southern province, sri lanka. American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 99, pp.411–411.
Tillekeratne, L., Suchindran, S., Ko, E., Petzold, E., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A. and Woods, C. (2018). A gene expression signature accurately identifies viral acute respiratory infections in a Sri Lankan population. American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 99, pp.641–642.
Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Devasiri, V., Nicholson, B.P., Vanderburg, S., Kurukulasooriya, R., Østybe, T., Reller, M.E. and Woods, C.W. (2018). Acute Respiratory Viral Infections: an important cause of admissions for Febrile Illnesses in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. International Conference on Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance” organized by Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists Annual Sessions, 16(1), pp.42-42.
Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Vidanagama, D., Devasiri, V., Arachchi, W.K., Kurukulasooriya, R., De Silva, D., Ostbye, T., Reller, M.E. and Woods, C.W., 2014, December. 1483 High Rate of Antibiotic Prescriptions for Outpatients with Influenza-Like Illness in Southern Sri Lanka. In Open Forum Infectious Diseases (Vol. 1, No. Suppl 1, p. S392). Oxford University Press. Read…
Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Vidanagama, D., Devasiri, V., Arachchi, W.K., Kurukulasooriya, R., Silva, D.D., Ostbye, T., Reller, M.E. and Woods, C.W. (2015). Use of Rapid Influenza Testing to Reduce Antibiotic Use Among Outpatients with Influenza-Like Illness, Southern Sri Lanka,. 25th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Read…
Vanderburg, S., Kodikara, I., Sellathurai, M., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A., Woods, C., Riviello, E.D. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2019). A Novel Lung Ultrasound Training Program to Predict Severity of Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Sri Lanka. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 199, pp.A3674–A3674. conference.2019.199.1_meetingabstracts.a3674. doi:https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm
Vanderburg, S., Kodikara, I., Tharakan, A., Sheng, T., Gallis, J.A., Sellathurai, M., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A., Wijayaratne, G.B., Woods, C.W., Tillekeratne, L.G. and Riviello, E.D. (2023). A Practical Approach to Lung Ultrasound Training in Sri Lanka. ATS Scholar, 4(2), pp.126–131. doi:https://doi.org/10.34197/ats-scholar.2022-0072br.
Vanderburg, S., Sheng, T., Wijayaratne, G., Dabrera, T., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Kurukulasooriya, R., Drew, R., Woods, C.W. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2019). Frequent Inappropriate Antimicrobial Use for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Sri Lanka. Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program 21st International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Rim.
Vanderburg, S., Sheng, T., Wijayaratne, G., Dabrera, T., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2018). Frequent empiric broad-spectrum antimicrobial use among hospitalized patients with lower respiratory tract infection in southern Sri Lanka. Respirology, 23(S2), pp.186–187. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/resp.13420_269.
Wijayaratne, W.M.D.G.B., Vanderburg, S., Devasiri, V., Nagahawatte, A., Bodinayake, C.K., Petzold, E. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2019). An outbreak of adenovirus causing severe respiratory illness in southern Sri Lanka, 2018. American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 101, pp.175–175.
Wijayaratne, W.M.D.G.B., Vanderburg, S., Tillekeratne, G., Woods, C., Nagahawatte, A., Bodinayake, C.K., Devasiri, V., Nicholson, B.P., Petzold, E., Gunasena, S., Danthanarayana, N., Piyasiri, B., Sellaturai, M., Weerasinghe, N.P., Fonseka, C.L., Kurukulasooriya, R. and Gunasekara, N.C. (2019). The Respiratory virus outbreak in Southern Sri Lanka in 2018. Annual Scientific Session of the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists
Vanderburg, S., Sheng, T., Bodinayake, C., Devasiri, V., Nagahawatte, A., Wijayaratne, G., Kurukulasooriya, R., Kanchana, S., Wickramasinghe, T., Dilshan, B. and De Silva, D., 2022. Elevated Procalcitonin Levels Are Associated with Severity of Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Sri Lanka. (pp. A3095-A3095). American Thoracic Society.