Measles, symptoms claim seven more children`s lives, toll reaches

Seven more children have died with measles symptoms in Bangladesh over the past 24 hours, taking the cumulative death toll from measles and associated symptoms to 915, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). During the same period, 50 children were newly confirmed with measles, while another 981 developed measles symptoms, bringing the number of newly affected children to 1,031.

According to the DGHS's latest measles update released Monday afternoon, 816 children have died with measles symptoms since the outbreak began on March 15, while 99 others have died after being confirmed with measles. The number of suspected measles cases has risen to 143,778, including 17,930 laboratory-confirmed cases. In the past 24 hours, 929 children were admitted to hospitals, while 974 patients were discharged after recovering. Overall, 125,386 patients have been hospitalised since March 15, with 120,913 subsequently discharged.

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Public health experts said measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads rapidly through the air, particularly posing a serious threat to malnourished children under five. The infection can lead to potentially fatal complications such as pneumonia, severe diarrhoea, respiratory distress and encephalitis. Doctors warned that disruptions to routine immunisation or vaccine hesitancy could substantially increase the risk of outbreaks, calling for stronger vaccination programmes and intensified public awareness campaigns nationwide.