The movement of lakhs of people, including children, for Eid-ul-Azha celebrations has heightened the risk of another spike in measles infections and deaths as the mass movement and gatherings would expose children to the highly contagious disease, public health experts warned.
Experts, virologists, and clinicians urged strict adherence to health guidelines to reduce transmission risks as the Directorate General of Health Services reported a record 17 deaths of children from confirmed measles or measles-like symptoms and 1,224 new infections in the 24 hours until 8:00am on Monday.
According to DGHS data, the country earlier recorded 17 deaths on May 4, the highest daily toll since measles surveillance began on March 15 amid the outbreak.
With the latest figures, the cumulative death toll from confirmed measles and measles-like symptoms has risen to 545, while infections reached 73,659, including 87 confirmed deaths and 8,719 laboratory-confirmed cases since March 15.
Amid the outbreak of the highly contagious disease, the country is set to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, one of the two largest religious festivals for Muslims, on Thursday, prompting lakhs of people to travel from urban to rural areas.
However, the DGHS has yet to issue any public health guidelines or announce preventive initiatives to reduce infection risks during the holiday.
DGHS disease control wing director professor Dr Md Halimur Rashid acknowledged the risk but said that there was no alternative to allowing movement during Eid.
‘People’s movement increases the risk of transmission of any infectious disease, but we have no option except shutdown but it is not possible,’ he said, adding that imposing restrictions during one of the country’s largest religious festivals was unfeasible.
Public health experts said that the DGHS should at least issue preventive guidelines for holidaymakers as the disease continues to take a heavy toll on children.
The government announced a seven-day public holiday beginning Monday on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, which will be celebrated on Thursday.
According to experts, measles is even more contagious than coronavirus, who noted that during the Covid-19 pandemic the health authorities actively promoted public awareness, while measles prevention efforts have largely centred on vaccination.
Former vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Medical University and virologist Professor Nazrul Islam said that the official response appeared inadequate.
‘We are behaving as if nothing happened here,’ he observed.
Public health expert professor Abu Jamil Faisal said that maintaining hygiene measures could significantly reduce infection risks.
He warned that population movement during an infectious disease outbreak could accelerate community transmission.
He recalled that dengue spread widely to villages during Eid-ul-Azha in 2019 as people travelled across the country.
Experts advised avoiding Eid travel if possible and, when unavoidable, recommended that families with children avoid crowded places, wear masks, use hand sanitisers and maintain proper hygiene.
They also urged people not to travel with sick children and to isolate children showing measles symptoms.
Nazrul Islam said that the authorities should immediately issue public guidance and strengthen awareness efforts to prevent further transmission.
Health officials, however, pointed to the government’s mass vaccination campaign launched during the outbreak.
The DGHS claimed that more than two crore children aged between six and 59 months had been vaccinated, reporting coverage of 102 per cent in rural areas and 106 per cent in urban areas.
Professor Abu Jamil Faisal, however, said that despite the campaign, many children remained outside the vaccine coverage.
‘If an infected child comes into contact with others, the risk of transmission increases,’ he said, warning that measles cases could rise further.
He also noted that gaps in immunisation microplanning remained a concern even during an outbreak.
Meanwhile, measles positivity rates continued to rise across the country. The National Polio and Measles Laboratory at the Institute of Public Health reported a test positivity rate of 61.12 per cent among samples tested over the past week until Friday.
The World Health Organization-accredited laboratory tested 1,483 samples and identified 907 positive cases, while 786 healthcare facilities nationwide sent samples for measles confirmation.
Earlier, laboratory officials reported a positivity rate of up to 54 per cent in the first week of April after testing 222 samples.
Institute of Public Health scientific officer Mahbuba Jamil said that measles positivity rates in previous years remained below 4 per cent.
Virologists said that measles was among the world’s most infectious diseases, spreading much more easily than Covid-19.
A person infected with measles can transmit the virus to 15–18 others, Nazrul Islam said, warning that transmission would continue unless effective control measures were enforced.
