Dhaka: The country on Monday recorded 17 deaths from measles and similar symptoms, marking the highest single-day toll since the outbreak of the highly contagious but preventable disease began in March this year. Of the new deaths recorded in the 24 hours till 8:00 am on Monday, two were confirmed as measles-related, while the remaining 15 were classified as suspected, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, DGHS data reveals a total of 1,302 suspected measles cases were recorded in the past 24 hours. Since March 15, the total number of suspected cases has reached 41,793. The number of confirmed measles cases in the last 24 hours stands at 154, with the total number of confirmed cases from March 15 to date reaching 5,467.
Between March 15 and May 4, 28,842 people were hospitalized with suspected measles. During the same period, 25,151 individuals recovered and were discharged from hospitals. With two additional deaths from confirmed measles recorded in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed measles deaths from March 15 to date has risen to 52.
Fifteen deaths from suspected measles were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of suspected measles deaths from March 15 to date to 259. So far, the highest number of suspected cases, 18,957, has been reported in the Dhaka division. Among these, 3,748 have been confirmed as measles cases.