A growing measles outbreak in Chittagong has overwhelmed hospitals, with patient numbers exceeding bed capacity and nine city wards identified as hotspots amid a surge in infections.
At least 116 patients with measles symptoms are currently undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, where doctors have been forced to place two children in some beds due to overcrowding.
Among the patients, four-and-a-half-year-old Tasfia Akhtar, who was admitted on Friday night after developing fever, cough, and a red rash. Doctors later confirmed she had measles.
A visit to the hospital on Sunday found 80 children receiving treatment in the 50-bed measles ward on the ground floor, while another 36 suspected measles patients were admitted to Ward No. 9 on the second floor. Many of the patients in the latter ward required oxygen support and intravenous fluids.
Hospital sources said children whose conditions improve are transferred from Ward No. 9 to the measles ward before being discharged after recovery.
"Currently, 116 patients with measles symptoms are admitted to the hospital. Due to the pressure of patients, two children are being treated in some beds at the same time," hospital director Mohammad Taslim Uddin said.
He added that six adult patients had also been admitted with measles symptoms and that a 25-year-old intern doctor contracted the disease while treating infected patients.
The outbreak is no longer confined to children. The six adult patients admitted to the hospital are aged between 14 and 24 years.
Patients with measles symptoms are arriving not only from Chittagong city and district but also from neighbouring districts, including Cox's Bazar, Comilla, Noakhali, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Lakshmipur and Feni.
Meanwhile, health authorities have identified nine wards in Chittagong city as measles hotspots after detecting a high concentration of cases in those areas.
Khadija Ahmed, Surveillance and Immunization Medical Officer (SIMO) of the World Health Organization's Chittagong City Corporation area, recently announced the designation of hotspots. According to Khadija Ahmed, the hotspots are Jalalabad Ward No. 2, Chandgaon Ward No. 4, North Pahartali Ward No. 9, Lalkhan Bazar Ward No. 14, East Baklia Ward No. 18, Alkaran Ward No. 31, South Central Halishahar Ward No. 38, South Halishahar Ward No. 39 and North Patenga Ward No. 40.
"Bangladesh is currently experiencing a measles outbreak according to World Health Organization guidelines. The disease has spread across the country, not just in Chittagong," she said.
Sources in the Civil Surgeon's Office said that so far, samples of 1,445 people admitted with measles symptoms in Chittagong have been collected and sent to the Dhaka lab. Of these, 1,162 are from the city and 283 from district. These reports are being received within two to three days, said District Civil Surgeon Dr Jahangir Alam.
"Patients with measles symptoms are continuing to seek treatment at hospitals across Chittagong every day," said Civil Surgeon Dr. Jahangir Alam. "Meanwhile, children aged six months to five years have been brought under a measles vaccination campaign, and nearly all eligible children have received the vaccine. We are optimistic that the outbreak will be brought under control within the next few months."
On Saturday alone, 71 new patients with measles symptoms were admitted to hospitals across the district. Authorities have recorded 13 measles-related deaths, including three laboratory-confirmed fatalities and 10 deaths among patients who showed symptoms of the disease.
The outbreak has also exposed gaps in diagnostic capacity. Although Chittagong has a measles testing laboratory at the Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, testing cannot be conducted due to a shortage of kits and lack of authorization.
As a result, samples from suspected patients are being sent to the National Polio and Measles-Rubella Laboratory in Dhaka. Health officials said samples from 1,445 suspected cases have so far been sent for testing, with results typically taking two to three days.
Public health officials have urged parents to ensure children receive routine measles vaccinations and to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as fever, cough and rash develop.
