Two more children have succumbed to measles and its severe complications in the Sylhet division within the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll from the outbreak across the region to 154. The latest casualties were officially confirmed by Dr Mohammad Nure Alam Shamim, Assistant Director of the Sylhet Health Directorate.
Among the deceased, four-month-old Ayan passed away while undergoing treatment at the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. The second victim, a one-year-and-two-month-old child named Ibrahim from the Habiganj Sadar area, died at the Shahid Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital.
Official reports released by the health administration reveal that 399 patients showing acute symptoms of measles are currently admitted to various hospitals across the division. In the last 24 hours alone, 154 new patients were hospitalised with symptoms consistent with the viral infection, underscoring the relentless pressure on regional healthcare facilities.
Since the beginning of the year on 1 January, laboratory tests have confirmed measles in 1,031 individuals across the division. Out of the 154 children who have died since the start of the outbreak, 10 had undergone laboratory testing that definitively confirmed the presence of the virus. The remaining victims died after exhibiting classic, severe clinical symptoms of the disease.
Measles remains a highly contagious viral illness that spreads rapidly through respiratory droplets. It poses a grave risk to infants and young children, particularly those who are malnourished or missing routine immunisations. Complications often include severe diarrhoea, pneumonia, and encephalitis, which can quickly prove fatal without timely clinical intervention.
Health authorities in Sylhet continue to monitor the situation while encouraging parents to ensure their children receive complete doses of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine. Surveillance teams are maintaining heightened vigilance across district hospitals and upazila health complexes to manage admissions and curb further community transmission.
