Measles infections cross 91,000

Four more children died with measles symptoms across the country in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll from the disease and measles-like symptoms to 670, according to the latest report from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) released on Friday.

Of the 670 deaths recorded so far, 577 were children who died showing symptoms of measles, while 93 deaths were confirmed cases of measles, the DGHS report said.

During the same 24-hour period, 1,174 people were reported to have been infected with measles or shown symptoms of the disease. Of the four children who died in the past 24 hours, two were from Sylhet division, while one death each was reported from Dhaka and Chattogram divisions, the report said.

A total of 972 people were admitted to hospitals across the country in the last 24 hours as suspected measles patients. Of them, 361 were from Dhaka division, followed by 216 from Chattogram and 132 from Barishal division.

Meanwhile, 893 patients were discharged from hospitals nationwide during the same period after recovering from the disease.

Over 90,000 affected since March
The first measles case in the country was identified on 15 March. According to the DGHS, a total of 90,982 people have shown measles symptoms over the last 96 days.

Of them, 75,156 were hospitalised and 10,869 cases were formally confirmed as measles through testing. A total of 71,396 patients have been discharged from hospitals so far since the outbreak began.

The DGHS did not immediately comment on what measures are being taken to contain the spread of the disease, which continues to affect children disproportionately across multiple divisions of the country.