Measles Positivity Rates Decline in Bangladesh Amid Ongoing Outbreak as Death Toll Reaches 867
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Health authorities in Bangladesh are currently processing an average of 200 samples daily at the World Health Organization-accredited National Polio and Measles-Rubella Laboratory to detect measles cases, with approximately 50 percent of tests returning positive results. Laboratory officials report that while the positivity rate is gradually declining, the facility remains the primary site for government-sanctioned measles diagnostics.
According to laboratory data, 39,461 samples were tested between January and July, resulting in 20,446 confirmed cases. This represents an overall positivity rate of 51.82 percent for the seven-month period. The laboratory, which receives technical support from the World Health Organization, serves as the government’s official reporting body for polio and measles-rubella surveillance. In contrast to the government facility, which provides free testing, the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, conducts separate testing primarily for research purposes, while several private hospitals in the capital have recently begun offering diagnostic services for a fee.
Laboratory chief Khandaker Mahbuba Jamil noted that officials first identified the outbreak trend in late December. Measles detection rates doubled in January compared to December, and doubled again in February. Based on this surge, the government identified 30 sub-districts and municipalities across 18 districts as high-risk zones, leading to the launch of a vaccination campaign on April 5.
Official data from the Directorate General of Health Services indicates that since March 15, 135,332 people have sought treatment at public and private hospitals for measles-like symptoms. Of those, 117,444 required hospitalization, with 113,200 individuals subsequently recovering and being discharged. As of Saturday morning, laboratory-confirmed measles cases for this period reached 17,040.
The health department reported four additional deaths over the previous 24-hour period, including two patients with measles-like symptoms and two confirmed cases of measles. This brings the total death toll this year to 867, consisting of 98 confirmed measles deaths and 769 fatalities involving symptoms associated with the disease. Health officials confirmed that the majority of the deceased were children who had not been vaccinated against measles.
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