Three people, including an 18-year-old woman and two children, have died with measles-like symptoms in Sylhet division over the past 24 hours, health officials said on Sunday.
The deaths bring the number of people who have died this year with confirmed or suspected measles in the division to 125. Of them, six were confirmed measles deaths, while 119 had symptoms consistent with suspected measles.
The deceased were identified as Swarna Rani Das, 18, wife of Nepal Pal of Habiganj, Md Ehsanul, 3 years and four months old, son of Abdul Awal of Habiganj and eight-month-old Ayan of Banglabazar in Dowarabazar upazila of Sunamganj.
Ehsanul died at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Ayan at Shaheed Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital, and Swarna at 250-bed Habiganj Sadar Hospital.
According to a report released by the Sylhet Divisional Health Directorate, 18 new confirmed measles cases were detected in the past 24 hours, raising the division’s total confirmed cases to 827.
Another 91 patients with measles-like symptoms were admitted to hospitals during the period. Of them, 51 were admitted to Osmani Medical College Hospital and 25 to Shaheed Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital.
A total of 271 suspected measles patients are currently receiving treatment at hospitals across the division, including 121 at Shaheed Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital and 62 at Osmani Medical College Hospital.
Dr Mohammad Nure Alam Shamim, assistant director of the Sylhet Health Department, said authorities were working to contain the situation.
