Respiratory Infections
Manuscripts
1. L. Gayani Tillekeratne, Nicholas O’Grady, Maria D. Iglesias-Ussel, Jack Anderson, Alana Brown, Armstrong Obale,Christina Nix, Champica K. Bodinayake, Ajith Nagahawatte, Robert Rolfe, E. Wilbur Woodhouse, Gaya B. Wijayaratne, Senali Weerasinghe, U.H.B.Y. Dilshan,Jayani Gamage, Ruvini Kurukulasooriya, Madureka Premamali, Himali S. Jayasinghearachchi, Bradly P. Nicholson, Emily R. Ko, Ephraim L. Tsalik, Micah T. McClain, Rachel A. Myers, Christopher W. Woods, andThomas W. Burke. Host gene expression in the Nasopharynx can discriminate microbiologically confirmed viral and bacterial lower respiratory tract infection. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , 2025 , e25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2025.10191
2. K Bodinayake C, De S Nagahawatte A, de Silva V, Ariyananda PL, Perera B, Kurukulasooriya R, Premamali MHM, W Woods C, Tillekeratne LG, Østbye T. Academic global health collaboration: the Ruhuna-Duke partnership. Glob Health Action. 2025 Dec;18(1):2543603. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2025.2543603. Epub 2025 Aug 21. PMID: 40836679; PMCID: PMC12372491.
3. Phan PT, Wijayaratne G, Bodinayake CK, Oguzie JU, Nguyen-Tien T, Marushchak LV, Rodriguez J, Trujillo-Vargas CM, Shittu I, Pham NT, Le ST, Nagahawatte A, Truong PT, Kurukulasooriya R, Obale A, Robie ER, and Bailey ES, Nicholson BP, Woods CW, Tillekeratne LG and Gray GC. Diverse Respiratory Viruses Detected Among Hospitalized Patients with Pneumonia in Sri Lanka and Vietnam. IJID Regions 2025 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijregi.2025.100757
4. De Zoysa, W., Palangasinghe, D., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A., Gamage, J., Iglesias-Ussel, M.D., Olague, S., Galdieri, C., Kurukulasooriya, R., Weerasinghe, S., Premamali, M., Ngocho, J., Obale, A., Chakraborty, H., Ostbye, T., Naggie, S., Woods, C.W., Myers, E., Watt, M.H. and Tillekeratne, L.G. (2025) ‘Electronic Clinical Decision Support Tools to Manage Patients with Lower Respiratory Tract Infection: Clinicians’ Perspectives in Sri Lanka’American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 112(5), pp. 1168–1174. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.24-0576.
5. Tillekeratne, L.G., De Soyza, W., Iglesias-Ussel, M.D., Olague, S., Palangasinghe, D., Nagahawatte, A., Wickramatunga, T., Gamage, J., Kurukulasooriya, R., Premamali, M., Ngocho, J., Obale, A., Sanborn, K., Gallis, J., Woods, C.W., Naggie, S., Ostbye, T., Chakraborty, H., Laber, E., Myers, E., Watt, M. and Bodinayake, C.K.(2024) ‘Electronic Clinical Decision Support Tools: Strategies to Improve the Management of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Low-Resource Settings’, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 111(6), pp. 1173–1177. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.24-0126.
6. Weishampel ZA, Nagahawatte A, Wijayaratne G, Wickramasinghe SS, Nicholson B, Anderson J, Vanderburg S, Fonseka CL, Premamali M, Rolfe RJ, Dilshan UHBY, Kurukulasooriya R, Piyasiri DLB, Østbye T, Woods CW, Abusalem L, Obale A, Tillekeratne LG, Bodinayake CK. Use of the BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® Pneumonia plus Panel to characterize the etiology of lower respiratory tract infections among hospitalized patients in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. BMC Infect Dis. 2025 Sep 29;25(1):1178. doi: 10.1186/s12879-025-11562-6. PMID: 41023658; PMCID: PMC12482574.ol. 2025 Nov 20;5(1):e309. doi: 10.1017/ash.2025.10124. PMID: 41306698; PMCID: PMC12645232.
7. Medrano, P.G., Weerasinghe, N., Nagahawatte, A., Vanderburg, S., Park, L.P., Wijayaratne, G.B., Devasiri, V., Dilshan, B., Sheng, T., Kurukulasooriya, R. and Anderson, J., 2024. Prevalence and predictors of antibiotic prescription among patients hospitalized with viral lower respiratory tract infections in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. PloS one, 19(6), p.e0304690.
8. Tillekeratne, L.G., De Soyza, W., Iglesias-Ussel, M.D., Olague, S., Palangasinghe, D., Nagahawatte, A., Wickramatunga, T., Gamage, J., Kurukulasooriya, R., Premamali, M. and Ngocho, J., 2024. Electronic Clinical Decision Support Tools: Strategies to Improve the Management of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Low-Resource Settings. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, p.tpmd240126.
9. Ko, E.R., Reller, M.E., Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Miller, C., Burke, T.W., Henao, R., McClain, M.T., Suchindran, S., Nicholson, B., Blatt, A., Petzold, E., Tsalik, E.L., Nagahawatte, A., Devasiri, V., Rubach, M.P., Maro, V.P., Lwezuala, B.F., Arachichi, W.K. and Kurukulasooriya, R. (2023). Host-response Transcriptional Biomarkers Accurately Discriminate Bacterial and Viral Infections of Global Relevance. Research Square. Doi
10. Van Melle, D.T., Ten Asbroek, G., Rolfe, R., Vanderburg, S., Abeysinghe, Y.W., Halloluwa, C., Zhang, H.L., Ostbye, T., Kurukulasooriya, R., Sheng, T. and Kanchana, S., 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, 105(6), p.1690. DOI: 10.3201/eid1802.110962
11. Vanderburg, S., Wijayaratne, G., Danthanarayana, N., Jayamaha, J., Piyasiri, B., Halloluwa, C., Sheng, T., Amarasena, S., Kurukulasooriya, R., Nicholson, B.P. and Peiris, J.S., 2020. Outbreak of severe acute respiratory infection in Southern Province, Sri Lanka in 2018: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 10(11), p.e040612. DOI: 10.3201/eid1802.110962
12. Tillekeratne, L.G., Suchindran, S., Ko, E.R., Petzold, E.A., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Devasiri, V., Kurukulasooriya, R., Nicholson, B.P., McClain, M.T. and Burke, T.W., 2020, June. Previously derived host gene expression classifiers identify bacterial and viral etiologies of acute febrile respiratory illness in a South Asian population. In Open forum infectious diseases(Vol. 7, No. 6, p. ofaa194). US: Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.3201/eid1802.110962
13. Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Simmons, R., Nagahawatte, A., Devasiri, V., Arachchi, W.K., Nicholson, B.P., Park, L.P., Vanderburg, S., Kurukulasooriya, R. and De Silva, A.D., 2019. Respiratory viral infection: an underappreciated cause of acute febrile illness admissions in southern Sri Lanka. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 100(3), p.672. DOI: 10.3201/eid1802.110962
14. Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C., Nagahawatte, A., Kurukulasooriya, R., Orlando, L.A., Simmons, R.A., Park, L.P., Woods, C.W. and Reed, S.D., 2019. Use of clinical algorithms and rapid influenza testing to manage influenza-like illness: a cost-effectiveness analysis in Sri Lanka. BMJ Global Health, 4(2), p.e001291. DOI: 10.3201/eid1802.110962
15. Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Dabrera, T., Nagahawatte, A., Arachchi, W.K., Sooriyaarachchi, A., Stewart, K., Watt, M., Østbye, T. and Woods, C.W., 2017. Antibiotic overuse for acute respiratory tract infections in Sri Lanka: a qualitative study of outpatients and their physicians. BMC family practice, 18, pp.1-10. DOI: 10.3201/eid1802.110962
16. Shapiro, D., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Devasiri, V., Kurukulasooriya, R., Hsiang, J., Nicholson, B., De Silva, A.D., Østbye, T., Reller, M.E. and Woods, C.W., 2017. Burden and seasonality of viral acute respiratory tract infections among outpatients in southern Sri Lanka. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 97(1), p.88. DOI: 10.3201/eid1802.110962
17. Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Vidanagama, D., Devasiri, V., Arachchi, W.K., Kurukulasooriya, R., De Silva, A.D., Østbye, T., Reller, M.E. and Woods, C.W., 2015. Use of rapid influenza testing to reduce antibiotic prescriptions among outpatients with influenza-like illness in southern Sri Lanka. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 93(5), p.1031. DOI: 10.3201/eid1802.110962
18. Tillekeratne, L.G., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A., Vidanagama, D., Devasiri, V., Arachchi, W.K., Kurukulasooriya, R., De Silva, A.D., Østybe, T., Reller, M.E. and Woods, C.W., 2015. An under-recognized influenza epidemic identified by rapid influenza testing, southern Sri Lanka, 2013. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 92(5), p.1023. DOI: 10.3201/eid1802.110962
19. Tsalik, E.L., Fiorino, C., Aqeel, A., Liu, Y., Henao, R., Ko, E.R., Burke, T.W., Reller, M.E., Bodinayake, C.K., Nagahawatte, A. and Arachchi, W.K., 2021. The host response to viral infections reveals common and virus-specific signatures in the peripheral blood. Frontiers in immunology, 12, p.741837. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.741837
Abstracts
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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”Vol. 23 No. 1 (2025): Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists Annual Sessions, July 2025.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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. 1483High 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
14. 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.
15. 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. doi:https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm conference.2019.199.1_meetingabstracts.a3674.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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
21. 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.