A worsening measles outbreak in Faridpur district has claimed the lives of two more infants, while 30 new patients were hospitalized with infections over the last 24 hours.
The latest fatalities were identified as nine-month-old Ayan, son of Rezaul Hossain from Rajbari Sadar upazila, and three-month-old Abdullah, son of Mohammad Kamrul Islam from Harukandi in Faridpur Sadar. Both infants died while undergoing emergency treatment at Faridpur Medical College Hospital (FMCH).
The health department reported that while 30 children were newly admitted to various government hospitals across the district with high fevers and rashes, 33 recovered patients were discharged during the same period.
Faridpur Civil Surgeon Dr. Mahmudul Hasan confirmed that the virus has now claimed 16 lives at FMCH during the current spike.
"Most of the infected individuals are young children," Dr. Hasan said. "We have intensified medical treatment protocols and observation wards across all state-run hospitals in the district."
Faridpur 24-Hour Measles Data shows that new Hospital Admissions 30 Patients, Discharges 33 Patients, Recent Fatalities 02 Infants out of total deaths are16.
The Civil Surgeon urged guardians to remain vigilant but calm. "We advise parents to bring their children to the nearest healthcare facility immediately if they show signs of infection, rather than panicking. Timely medical intervention is vital, and it is crucial that all children are brought under the government's routine vaccination program," he added.
Local pediatricians warned that many families are waiting too long to seek professional medical help, leading to severe illness.
"Affected children are presenting with high fever, distinct red body spots, severe shortness of breath, and extreme physical weakness," said Faridpur-based pediatrician Dr. Abdullah Sayad. "In many cases, life-threatening complications are arising simply because parents are delaying hospital admission."
In response to the surge, the district health department has expanded its emergency awareness campaigns and localized vaccination drives to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus in vulnerable neighborhoods.
