Child deaths linked to measles and measles-like symptoms continue to be reported across the country, with seven more fatalities recorded in the past 24 hours alone, further deepening concern over the ongoing outbreak.
Amid the rising caseload, Bangladesh's only dedicated measles and rubella testing facility-the virology laboratory of the Institute of Public Health (IPH)-is facing a severe shortage of diagnostic kits, severely constraining its ability to process samples.
The shortage has forced the laboratory to sharply reduce testing capacity, resulting in a backlog of more than 5,000 samples sent from different parts of the country. At present, testing capacity has been reduced by nearly 75 per cent.
The institute currently has only 13 kits in stock, which can collectively process around 1,200 to 1,500 samples. Officials warned that if fresh supplies do not arrive within days, routine measles testing could face serious disruption.
According to IPH sources, 114 kits have been used since January to test 10,597 samples. Each kit is capable of processing between 90 and 93 samples, highlighting the limited remaining capacity.
As a result, daily testing has dropped sharply. At present, only 120 to 130 samples are being processed per day on a priority basis, compared to a peak of around 700 samples daily last month.
IPH Director Md Mominur Rahman acknowledged the shortage but said the situation has not yet reached complete depletion.
"We are trying to manage the crisis," he said.
He added that anticipating a rise in cases, the institute had already approached the World Health Organization (WHO) for additional kits.
"We wrote to WHO on February 8 requesting kits. In response, they provided around 60 kits last month, which we have been using. We expect to receive 30 more kits within a couple of days, followed by another 100 later," he said.
Rahman noted that measles testing kits have a limited shelf life of around six months, making large-scale stockpiling difficult. "All kits are supplied by WHO, and it takes about a month for them to arrive after production abroad," he added.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported that seven more children died with measles or measles-like symptoms in the past 24 hours.
Of these, two were confirmed measles cases, while five exhibited symptoms consistent with the disease.
According to DGHS data, 56 deaths have been confirmed as measles infections since March 15, while 268 additional deaths involved suspected cases with similar symptoms.
Dhaka Division has reported the highest number of symptom-related deaths at 125, followed by Rajshahi Division with 76 cases.
