Bangladesh measles outbreak worsens as 6 die, 1,390 new cases reported
Bangladesh measles outbreak claims six more lives as 1,390 new cases are reported in 24 hours, taking total deaths since March 15 to 1,140.
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Six people died from measles or measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the reported death toll since March 15 to 1,140, the Directorate General of Health Services said Wednesday.
The deaths were reported from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning. Two occurred in Dhaka Division, while one each was reported in each of the Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, according to the health directorate.
Of the total deaths since March 15, 104 were confirmed as measles, while 1,036 involved patients who died with measles-like symptoms, the agency said. During an outbreak, deaths among patients with measles symptoms are included in the broader tally.
The health directorate reported 1,280 new cases of measles-like symptoms in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total since March 15 to 200,293. It also reported 110 newly confirmed measles cases, taking the total confirmed cases to 22,020.
A total of 177,676 people with measles-like symptoms have been hospitalized since March 15, with 170,473 discharged after recovery, according to the agency.
The health directorate does not provide an age breakdown in its daily reports. Epidemiologists say measles can affect people of all ages but disproportionately affects children.
Health authorities say the outbreak began intensifying in March. The government launched a mass vaccination campaign in April. Still, public health experts have criticized the response, including what they describe as gaps in measles vaccination coverage and delays in responding to the outbreak.
Experts have also attributed the severity of the outbreak to weaknesses in vaccination efforts in 2025 and to children being missed during the mass vaccination campaign. Those assessments are the experts’ views and are not established as the sole cause of the current outbreak.
