Health Desk — The measles situation in Bangladesh continues to deteriorate as five more children died from measles-like symptoms over the last 24 hours.
Additionally, 243 new confirmed cases of measles were detected across the country during the same period.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) revealed these alarming statistics in its regular measles monitoring report released on Friday. According to the report, the latest fatalities occurred between 8:00 AM on Thursday and 8:00 AM on Friday.
Death Toll and Caseload Breakdown
The DGHS data highlights a severe and expanding outbreak since mid-March:
-
Total Fatalities: Since March 15, a total of 514 children have died after exhibiting measles symptoms. Out of these, 91 deaths have been laboratory-confirmed as measles.
-
Symptomatic Cases: Over the last 24 hours, an additional 1,168 people exhibited symptoms of the disease, bringing the total number of symptomatic patients since March 15 to 76,876.
-
Confirmed Infections: With the 243 newly identified infections, the total number of confirmed measles cases in the country has risen to 9,503 since March 15.
-
Hospitalizations & Recoveries: A staggering 62,287 patients have been hospitalized with measles symptoms since March 15. Among them, 58,154 individuals have recovered and been discharged.
Regional Fatality Distribution
According to the health directorate, the Dhaka division remains the hardest hit in the latest 24-hour cycle, accounting for four of the new deaths. The remaining fatality was recorded in the Sylhet division.
Health experts are urging parents to ensure their children receive the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine and to seek immediate medical assistance if symptoms like high fever, coughing, runny nose, and red rashes appear.