At least 10 more children have died from measles and measles-like symptoms across the country in the past 24 hours, from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, as infections and hospital admissions continue to rise, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
In its daily update released on Sunday, the DGHS said one of the deaths was confirmed as measles, while the remaining nine children died after showing symptoms consistent with the highly contagious disease.
Health authorities also detected 95 new measles cases during the period. With the latest figures, the number of confirmed measles-related deaths has reached 50 since March 15.
In addition, 244 more people have died with suspected measles symptoms during the same period, according to DGHS data.
Among the divisions, Dhaka recorded the highest number of deaths linked to measles-like symptoms at 116, followed by Rajshahi with 70. The outbreak has continued to put pressure on hospitals, with 1,166 people seeking treatment for measles symptoms nationwide in the last 24 hours. Of them, 905 patients required hospital admission.
Hospitals in Dhaka reported the highest number of admissions at 419, while Mymensingh recorded the lowest at six.
According to the DGHS, Bangladesh has recorded 40,491 suspected measles cases since March 15, with laboratory tests confirming infection in 5,313 cases.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can affect people of all ages and remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally. While often mild, it can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, ear infections, brain inflammation, blindness and death.
A nationwide vaccine shortage during 2024-2025 increased the number of susceptible children, contributing to the resurgence, according to the World Health Organization.
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Measles outbreak worsens as 10 more die in 24 hrs
FE REPORT | Published: May 03, 2026 23:21:14
Measles outbreak worsens as 10 more die in 24 hrs
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