Two More Children Die Amid Sylhet Measles Outbreak

Two more children have died after developing symptoms consistent with measles in Bangladesh’s Sylhet Division, raising the total number of deaths among patients treated for confirmed or suspected measles to 122, according to local health authorities.

Mohammad Nure Alam Shamim, Assistant Director of the Sylhet Health Department, said the two children died at Shaheed Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital between Thursday morning and Friday morning while receiving treatment.

One of the deceased was Yamin, a one-year-and-five-month-old boy and the son of Nurul Amin from Sylhet Sadar Upazila. The other was eight-month-old Anisa, the daughter of Abdul Munib from Bahubal Upazila in Habiganj District. Both children had been admitted to hospital after developing symptoms associated with measles.

The latest situation report released by the Sylhet Health Department indicates that, as of Friday morning, 294 patients with suspected measles were receiving treatment at hospitals across the division. During the previous 24 hours alone, another 93 patients were admitted with suspected measles, highlighting the continued pressure on healthcare facilities as new cases emerge.

Health officials also reported that, among the 122 recorded deaths, laboratory testing confirmed measles infection in six patients. The remaining 116 individuals died after exhibiting symptoms consistent with the disease, although laboratory confirmation had not been established in those cases.

The report further states that laboratory testing has confirmed 788 measles infections across Sylhet Division since 1 January this year. These figures reflect only laboratory-confirmed cases and do not include all patients admitted with suspected symptoms, meaning the number of clinically suspected infections has been considerably higher.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads primarily through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Young children, particularly infants and those who have not received routine immunisation, are among the groups most vulnerable to severe complications. Common symptoms include high fever, cough, a runny nose, red or watery eyes, followed by a characteristic skin rash.

Public health authorities continue to monitor the situation across Sylhet as hospitals manage a steady influx of patients with suspected infections. Surveillance, laboratory testing and clinical treatment remain ongoing as health officials seek to contain the spread of the disease and provide medical care to those affected.

The latest figures suggest that measles remains a significant public health concern in the division, with new admissions continuing alongside an increasing death toll. Health authorities are expected to maintain close monitoring of the outbreak while continuing treatment and disease surveillance efforts throughout the region.