Measles outbreak wreaks havoc in Mumbai, 16 dead, over 500 cases in three months

Since the surge in measles cases in October 2022, Mumbai has seen sixteen deaths of which eight are suspected of measles.

Mumbai: A 3-year-old boy with breathing issues succumbed to measles at a BMC hospital on Tuesday (December 27), a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation report said. Since the surge in measles cases in October 2022, the city has seen sixteen deaths of which eight are suspected of measles. The child initially had a fever followed by rashes and was hospitalised three days later on December 26 for breathing difficulties. His condition deteriorated quickly and he died of septic shock, anaemia, and malnutrition. Mumbai's infection tally has reached here to 549, a civic official said. According to the BMC, "Of the 2,60,739 children in the 9-month to 5-year age group in 78 health posts, 90,940 have been given additional doses of measles-rubella. Of the 5,293 children in the 6-month to 9-month age group in 21 health posts where the cases in the sub-9-month segment are more than 10 per cent of total lab-confirmed cases, 2,195 children have been given 'zero doses' of MR vaccine."

A BMC release said 24 children have been admitted and 20 were discharged during the day. Only 99 of the 337 hospital beds earmarked for measles treatment are currently occupied, it said.

Mobile teams have been formed from December 24 to cover children at construction sites and other such spots, it informed. The measles tally in Maharashtra, as on December 28, is 1,238 and the death toll stands at 24, a state health department report said.