10 children die with measles symptopms, over 1,400 new cases reported

The measles outbreak took a devastating turn on Sunday with 10 children dying from the disease or its symptoms in a single 24-hour period, the highest daily toll since the current wave of infections began.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) confirmed the deaths in a press release, issued on Sunday.

The health authority's control room reported that four of the deaths were confirmed as measles cases while the remaining six children died with measles-like symptoms classified as suspected cases. 

Nine of the 10 fatalities occurred in the Dhaka division, underscoring the capital region's position as the epicenter of the outbreak.

In the same period, 1,428 new cases were recorded nationwide, with 150 confirmed through laboratory testing and 1,278 classified as suspected infections. Dhaka division alone accounted for 703 of the new cases, nearly half the national total.

Since March 15, the cumulative death toll has reached 179 children, including 28 confirmed measles deaths and 151 who died with suspected symptoms. A total of 2,639 confirmed cases and 10,225 suspected infections have been documented across the country during this period, painting a grim picture of a rapidly spreading outbreak that shows no signs of slowing.

The alarming concentration of cases and deaths in Dhaka points to the vulnerability of densely populated urban areas where overcrowding, inadequate vaccination coverage, and limited access to healthcare combine to accelerate transmission of the highly contagious virus.