Measles Outbreak Claims Five More Children as Total Death Toll Reaches 724
Five more children have died from symptoms associated with measles in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since mid-March to 724. According to the latest report from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) released Thursday, the fatalities occurred between Wednesday and Thursday morning, with three deaths reported in the Dhaka division and one each in the Sylhet and Barishal regions.
Official data indicates that while no deaths were directly attributed to confirmed measles cases during this 24-hour window, the surge in symptomatic cases remains a significant public health concern. Since March 15, the country has recorded a total of 102,993 children exhibiting symptoms of the virus, with 965 of those cases appearing in the last day alone.
Medical professionals have confirmed 154 new cases of measles within the last 24 hours, raising the national tally of confirmed infections to 12,286 since the current outbreak began. Of the total 724 reported deaths, 93 have been medically verified as confirmed cases of measles, while the remainder have been categorized as deaths linked to measles-like symptoms.
Despite the high volume of cases, health officials noted progress in patient recovery and hospital management. Since the onset of the outbreak on March 15, 86,411 children have been admitted to hospitals for treatment. Of those patients, 82,759 have successfully recovered and been discharged, reflecting ongoing efforts to stabilize the spread of the disease across the country.
