Measles death toll reaches 831

Bangladesh’s measles outbreak claimed three more children’s lives in the 24 hours until 8:00am on Wednesday, raising the combined number of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 831 as health authorities also recorded nearly 1,000 new suspected infections nationwide.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said one of the three latest deaths was laboratory-confirmed as measles, while the remaining two were classified as suspected measles fatalities.

With the latest figures, the number of laboratory-confirmed measles deaths has reached 96, while suspected measles deaths have climbed to 735.

The country also recorded 996 new suspected measles cases during the reporting period, taking the cumulative number of suspected infections to 126,540.

Meanwhile, laboratory testing confirmed 79 additional measles infections over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases nationwide to 15,739.

DGHS data showed that since March 15, a total of 109,366 patients with suspected measles have been admitted to hospitals across the country.

Of those hospitalised, 105,198 patients have recovered, according to the latest official figures.

Bangladesh has been witnessing a sustained rise in measles infections since mid-March, with health authorities continuing nationwide surveillance and reporting both suspected and laboratory-confirmed cases as they monitor the outbreak.