11-month-old with measles symptoms dies in Mymensingh

Critical cases are more common among children who are brought to the hospital late, a doctor says

An infant with symptoms consistent with measles has died at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

The 11-month-old child was a resident of Kishoreganj’s Karimganj Upazila and died while undergoing treatment at 11:30am on Sunday, according to Dr Muhammad Mynuddin Khan, assistant director of the hospital.

Currently, 80 children are undergoing treatment at the hospital’s isolation ward, he said.

A total of 682 children with measles-like symptoms have been admitted to the hospital from Mar 17 to Monday morning. Of them, 557 children have been discharged from the hospital following care, while 15 have died. In the past 24 hours, the hospital released 38 children after treatment.

“Those infected children who are brought to the hospital late are the ones who are ending up in critical physical condition,” Dr Mynuddin said.

“Children are at higher risk because they have a lower ability to protect against disease.”

He said, “If the hospital had ICU (Intensive Care Unit) facilities, it would have been possible to reduce the death rate. Once work is complete on our under-construction building, a five-bed ICU will begin operations there.”