Measles Outbreak In Madhya Pradesh: Two Children Dead, 17 Infected; Schools Shut (image/pixabay)
In a concerning development, two children have tragically succumbed to suspected measles, while 17 others have been infected in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, prompting district authorities to take swift action. Reportedly, all schools in eight affected villages have been shut for three days as confirmed by a health official on Monday.
Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) LK Tiwari revealed that the outbreak claimed the lives of two children, one of whom was merely seven years old, on February 14 and 16, respectively. Additionally, 17 children across eight villages have tested positive for the infectious disease.
Tiwari further disclosed that seven of the infected children are currently receiving medical care in a hospital.
In response to the situation, the district collector has issued directives to close all government and private schools in the affected villages for a three-day period, effective immediately from Monday. Furthermore, a survey of habitations within a 5 km radius of these villages has been mandated to gauge the extent of the outbreak’s spread.
To mitigate further transmission, gatherings of children have been prohibited at any function in the affected areas, as per the collector”s orders.
Samples from the infected children have been collected and dispatched to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal for thorough examination, aiming to ascertain the precise nature of the outbreak.
Adding to the response efforts, reportedly, a team from the World Health Organization (WHO) is slated to visit the affected villages on Monday.
In March last year, 143 cases of measles were found in four districts – Indore, Jabalpur, Burhanpur and Narsinghpur – in Madhya Pradesh, as per a report in Times of India. The cases were reported among minors up to 19 years among non-vaccinated or partially vaccinated.
As per a 2023 report by the WHO, India has vaccinated over 348 million children between the year 2017 and March 2023. Cases of measles dropped by 62 percent between 2017 and 2021, from 10.4 to 4 cases per million population.
