Three more children have died after developing symptoms associated with measles in Bangladesh, taking the combined number of deaths among confirmed measles patients and those with measles-like symptoms to 1,012.
The latest figures were released on Friday (11 September) by the Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in an update on the country’s measles situation.
According to the report, one of the latest deaths occurred in Dhaka Division, while two were reported in Chattogram Division. The deaths were recorded during the 24-hour period from 8am on Thursday to 8am on Friday.
During the same period, 34 people were newly confirmed to have measles across the country. The latest cases have added to an already substantial number of suspected and confirmed patients being monitored by health authorities.
The DGHS said 100 people have so far died after being confirmed as having measles. A further 912 people have died after developing symptoms associated with the disease. Taken together, the two figures account for 1,012 deaths.
Dhaka Division has recorded the highest number of deaths among confirmed measles cases, with 63 fatalities. Barishal Division has reported the second-highest number, with 19 deaths among patients confirmed to have measles.
The pattern is different when deaths involving measles symptoms are considered. Dhaka Division has reported 408 such deaths, the highest among the country’s divisions. Sylhet follows with 157 deaths.
Rajshahi has recorded 93 deaths among people with measles symptoms, while the corresponding figures are 77 in Mymensingh, 68 in Chattogram, 57 in Barishal, 38 in Khulna and 14 in Rangpur.
Hospital admissions remain high as health facilities continue to receive patients with suspected measles. During the latest 24-hour period, 866 people with measles symptoms were admitted to hospitals across the country.
With these new admissions, the cumulative number of people hospitalised with measles or suspected measles has reached 149,471. Of them, 143,864 patients have already been discharged following treatment.
The DGHS has recorded 169,822 suspected measles patients across Bangladesh so far. The number of confirmed measles cases stands at 19,967.
The figures distinguish between laboratory or otherwise confirmed measles cases and patients who have presented with symptoms associated with the disease. While 100 deaths have been recorded among confirmed measles patients, 912 deaths have occurred among those reported to have measles symptoms.
The latest update also shows the scale of hospital activity linked to the outbreak. Hundreds of patients continue to be admitted each day, while the cumulative number of suspected cases remains far higher than the number of confirmed infections.
Health authorities are continuing to monitor suspected and confirmed cases across the country’s divisions, alongside hospital admissions and reported deaths. The latest three fatalities, all involving children with measles symptoms, have pushed the combined death toll above the 1,000 mark.
