Bangladesh is witnessing an unprecedented measles outbreak, with the number of suspected measles deaths rising to 623, while laboratory-confirmed measles deaths remain unchanged at 93, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
In the last 24 hours, four more children died from measles and measles-like symptoms, taking the overall death toll from the ongoing outbreak to 716. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has classified the latest fatalities as suspected measles deaths.
During the same period, Bangladesh recorded 1,004 new suspected measles cases, taking the cumulative nationwide tally to 100,211. Another 141 laboratory-confirmed infections were reported, pushing the total number of confirmed cases to 11,851.
Since April 10, a total of 83,806 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country. Of these, 80,193 have recovered, according to DGHS data.
How did the outbreak begin?
Bangladesh has been grappling with a sharp rise in measles cases since January 2026, with the outbreak spreading across much of the country.
Between March 15 and April 14, authorities reported 19,161 suspected measles cases and 2,973 laboratory-confirmed infections. During the same period, 166 suspected measles-related deaths (case fatality rate of 0.9%) and 30 laboratory-confirmed measles-related deaths (case fatality rate of 1.1%) were recorded. A total of 12,318 patients were admitted to hospitals, while 9,772 were discharged.
The National International Health Regulations (IHR) Focal Point for Bangladesh subsequently notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of the nationwide surge, reporting infections in 58 of the country’s 64 districts across all eight divisions.
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The highest suspected cases of measles since 15 March was recorded in Dhaka (8,263 cases), followed by Rajshahi (3,747), Chattogram (2,514) and Khulna (1,568). In Dhaka, cases were concentrated in densely populated informal settlements, including Demra, Jatrabari, Kamrangirchar, Korail, Mirpur, and the Tejgaon industrial and slum clusters, according to the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) and DGHS.
Children under the age of five accounted for 79% of reported infections. Among them, 66% were children younger than two years, while infants under nine months accounted for 33% of cases. The majority of the 166 suspected deaths were reported among unvaccinated children under the age of two.
To curb the outbreak, Bangladesh launched a targeted measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign on April 5. Authorities also stepped up nationwide surveillance and epidemiological analysis to strengthen case detection and reporting.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious acute viral disease that affects people of all ages and remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally. The virus spreads through the air or via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of an infected person.
