Bangladesh Measles Deaths Hit 1,257 as Three More Die in a Day

The Bangladesh measles death toll rose by three in the latest 24-hour count, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in a notice on Monday. The count covers the 24 hours from 8am on Sunday. One death each was reported in Chattogram, Barishal and Rangpur divisions.

In the same period, 1,492 people showed measles symptoms, and 1,385 of them were admitted to hospital. Laboratory tests confirmed measles in 56 people.

Since 15 March, the Bangladesh measles death toll stands at 1,257. Of those, 1,152 people died with measles symptoms and 105 died after tests confirmed the disease, so most deaths were recorded among people with symptoms rather than confirmed cases. Dhaka division has recorded the most deaths at 511, followed by Sylhet with 202, Chattogram with 112, Rajshahi with 93 and Mymensingh with 89. Barishal has recorded 69 deaths, Khulna 57 and Rangpur 18.

Dhaka division also had the most hospital admissions in the past day, at 476. Chattogram admitted 311 patients, Barishal 150, Sylhet 141, Khulna 125, Mymensingh 100, Rajshahi 43 and Rangpur 39. Across the country, 206,168 people have been admitted to hospital with measles symptoms since 15 March, and 197,548 have recovered and gone home.

The figures have limits. Not every patient who reaches a hospital is tested for measles, and patients who stay outside hospitals are not counted at all, so the exact number of infections is hard to know. The DGHS count mainly reflects people who come to hospitals, which means the published Bangladesh measles death toll and case numbers do not show the full scale of the outbreak.

Originally reported by Sarakhon.