Sixteen more children died from measles-like symptoms across the country in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll from the ongoing outbreak to 528 since mid-March.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) shared the alarming update in its regular daily report on Sunday. Alongside the fatalities, authorities detected 1,434 new cases of measles and its related symptoms nationwide within the same timeframe.
According to the regional breakdown of the latest deaths, Dhaka recorded the highest number of casualties with 10 children losing their lives. Mymensingh reported two deaths, while Rajshahi, Rangpur, Barishal, and Sylhet registered one fatality each.
The health directorate detailed that since March 15, the viral infection has officially claimed 86 lives, while 442 children have died exhibiting clinical symptoms of the disease. The outbreak has placed a massive strain on the country's healthcare system, with 50,558 patients admitted to hospitals with suspected infections.
Of those hospitalized, 46,214 children have recovered and been discharged.
Health authorities continue to monitor the rapid spread of the highly contagious virus. Official data shows that a total of 63,813 children have developed measles symptoms since the outbreak escalated earlier this year, out of which 8,622 cases have been officially confirmed through laboratory testing.
