Bangladesh reports five child deaths with suspected measles, 51 new cases

Bangladesh has recorded five more deaths of children linked to suspected measles in the past 24 hours, while health authorities confirmed 51 new infections nationwide.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in its regular measles bulletin on Thursday that 88 people have died from confirmed measles since Mar 15, while 477 deaths have been linked to suspected cases.

Dhaka has borne the brunt of the suspected outbreak, accounting for the highest toll with 189 fatalities, followed by the Rajshahi Division, which reported 84 deaths.

According to the DGHS, 826 patients showing symptoms of the disease arrived at hospitals over the last day, with 719 of them requiring admission.

The capital's medical facilities handled the heaviest influx, admitting 385 symptomatic patients during the 24-hour period, whereas Rangpur recorded the lowest with 18 cases.

The latest figures bring the country’s total number of suspected measles cases to 67,905, while confirmed infections have reached 8,885.