A total of 17 more children have died from measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh within 24 hours until 8 am on Monday, bringing the death toll to 545 since March 15. This matches the highest single-day death toll recorded on May 4, with 17 deaths from measles and similar symptoms, as reported by Bangladesh Daily Dhaka Tribune. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data shows one confirmed measles death and 16 suspected measles deaths between 8 am on May 24 and 8 am on May 25.
As per the DGHS, there have been 64,940 suspected measles cases in Bangladesh since March, with 8,719 confirmed infections. Out of the 52,585 suspected measles patients admitted to hospitals since March 15, 47,619 have been discharged after recovery. The delayed diagnosis is causing severe complications and repeated hospital transfers, worsening the patients’ conditions.
Physicians highlight that early symptoms like fever, cough, and runny nose are often mistaken for common viral illnesses, leading families to first seek care at local pharmacies or small clinics. With conditions deteriorating, patients are then referred to district hospitals and eventually to specialized facilities in Dhaka. Doctors caution that children are critically ill with pneumonia and respiratory distress by the time they reach the tertiary hospital, making treatment more challenging and increasing preventable deaths.
Due to the lack of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and specialized treatment facilities, district hospitals are increasingly transferring critically ill children to Dhaka. Isolation of measles patients is deemed crucial by a public health and vaccination expert to prevent further spread. The expert also notes that families being compelled to move from one hospital to another are heightening health risks.
