The nine children of Tripurapara under Sitakunda upazila in Chittagong who were allegedly infected by a mysterious disease had died of measles as they did not receive any vaccine against the disease. The Directorate of Health Services yesterday revealed this at a press conference.

“It has been confirmed from the patient’s symptoms and laboratory tests that the children were infected with measles. The infection spread because they were suffering from malnutrition,” said Prof. (Dr) Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the health services, at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in the capital.

“There was at least a chance to prevent the deaths, had the children been taken to medical health centres or physicians,” he told reporters.

Expressing regret over the tragic incident, Azad said action will be taken against those found responsible.

He came up with the comments following the death of nine children at Tripurapara from July 8–12 from an allegedly unknown disease. As many as 65 infected children showing the same symptoms have been admitted to the hospital.

Azad said that none of the 388 people from 85 families of the tribal minority group in the affected area has taken vaccines against measles.

At the same time, the DG acknowledged that Tripurapara is not covered by the health ministry’s micro-planning system and thus out of the vaccination programme.

Azad said they have decided to set up a temporary

vaccination centre at the home of Birendra Tripura in the locality and also carry out a nutrition programme there. The Directorate of Health Services is now revising its micro-planning system at the village level so that all remote areas could be covered under the government’s immunisation campaign, he added.

Replying to a question, Azad said about 87 per cent people are now under the coverage of measles vaccine, while the rest in remote areas are still to be vaccinated.

He, however, assured that there is no alarm for a measles outbreak in the country. “The measles situation is usual across Bangladesh. The incident occurred in a small isolated pocket where locals never receive modern treatment,” he said.

Azad also said that the Directorate of Health Services, its sub-ordinate institutions and WHO have stepped up their combat against measles in remote areas.

WHO medical officer Dr Stephen Chacko, Chittagong civil surgeon Dr Azizur Rahman Siddique, IEDCR director Sania Tahmina and Mirjadee Sabrina were among those present at the press conference.

Measles is a highly contagious infection caused by the measles virus. The initial symptoms typically include fever, often higher than 104°F, cough, running nose, and inflamed eyes.