Four more children admitted with measles symptoms have died in Sylhet over the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll linked to the viral outbreak in the division to 164.
The Divisional Health Directorate confirmed the fatalities on Monday morning. The deceased—identified as Emran, Shafayet, Khadija, and Obaydullah—succumbed to their illness while undergoing treatment at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital and Shahid Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital.
Health officials report that 495 patients with measles-like symptoms are currently admitted across various healthcare facilities in the Sylhet region. Although no new cases were confirmed via laboratory testing in the last 24 hours, 146 suspected cases were admitted to local hospitals during the same period.
According to data compiled by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a total of 1,044 laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been recorded in the division between 1 January and 14 September 2026. Health authorities have formally verified that 10 of the 164 deceased children were confirmed cases of measles, whilst the remaining fatalities are classified as suspected cases pending further epidemiological validation.
Measles remains a highly contagious, airborne viral infection that primarily afflicts children, often leading to severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and severe dehydration. Public health experts note that regional surges in infections frequently point to gaps in routine immunization coverage, low community awareness, or delayed medical intervention.
In response to the rising casualty count, regional health authorities have intensified surveillance across all four districts of the division—Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, and Sunamganj. Emergency medical teams are working to bolster isolation facilities, streamline treatment protocols in tertiary hospitals, and accelerate supplementary immunization drives targeting vulnerable populations in underserved and remote communities. Health workers continue to urge parents to ensure their children receive the standard two-dose measles-rubella (MR) vaccine and to seek immediate clinical care upon noticing early symptoms such as high fever, coughing, and distinct skin rashes.
