8 suspected measles deaths, 503 cases logged in Maha; CM reviews situation

Maharashtra has reported 503 cases of measles so far this year and eight deaths suspected to be caused by the viral infection - all in Mumbai -- the health department said on Thursday as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reviewed the situation and asked officials to give special attention to hospitalised patients.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a separate bulletin, said the metropolis has reported eight suspected deaths due to the disease and 169 confirmed cases so far.

As per the bulletin, 25 new patients of measles were admitted in the city, taking the number of hospitalised persons to 105. While two patients are on oxygen support, 38 others were discharged from hospitals.

A state health department bulletin said measles outbreak has been reported from 26 places in Maharashtra - 14 in Mumbai, seven in Bhiwandi (Thane district) and five in Malegaon town (Nashik district).

Chief Minister Shinde reviewed the situation arising out of the spread of the infection and instructed officers concerned to give special attention to hospitalised patients.

He instructed officers to augment measles surveillance efforts to immunise those who have been left out and called for making efforts towards busting myths and misconceptions about immunization in communities.

Eight municipal wards in Mumbai have been affected by measles and most outbreaks (5) were seen in the M-East ward followed by three in the L ward (all in northeast Mumbai). Eight suspected patients of measles have succumbed to death. Seven out of these are from the M-East ward and one from L ward. Out of these, only one child had taken one dose of measles vaccine, while the rest were unvaccinated," said the health department bulletin.

Pradip Awate, state health surveillance officer, said in a week if there are five suspected cases of an infection, of which more than two have been confirmed in laboratory testing, then it is termed as an outbreak.

The health department said measles is one of the leading causes for diarrhoea, pneumonia, and lowering of immunity, among other conditions, and leads to children getting stuck in the vicious cycle of various diseases and malnutrition.

The health department is conducting house-to-house surveillance for measles and special vaccination sessions are being arranged in a campaign mode, said the bulletin.

A district/municipal corporation-wise list of children aged between nine months and five years has been prepared for those who have missed measles vaccine. These children are immunised in special as well as routine sessions, it said.

Instructions have been given to pay special attention to sensitive areas and 2,974 immunisation sessions have been organised in October/November in the state. Two doses of Vitamin A is to be given to each measles patient, said the department.

In 2021, Maharashtra had recorded 92 cases of the infection, while this figure was 193 in 2020, said the bulletin.

Meanwhile, a senior BMC official said one more death suspected to be caused by measles was reported in the metropolis, taking the toll to eight on Thursday. The patient was a 10-month -old girl, a resident of suburban Govandi who died on November 3.

"She had a history of travel to Thane in the month of October. The death committee (of BMC) will review the eight suspected (measles) deaths of fever and rash," said the civic body's bulletin.

The bulletin stated that at present admission facility for measles patients is available at Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital at Kandivali, Rajawadi Hospital at Ghatkopar, and Shatabdi Hospital, Govandi (all for moderate cases). Kasturba Hospital has a separate isolation ward with 83 beds and 5 ventilators for handling severe and critical cases.

As per the bulletin, in the East civic ward, that includes areas like Govandi, a sensitization meeting of religious leaders was conducted, in which 40 people participated and they agreed to spread awareness about the disease and extend support to immunization.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Shinde reviewed the measles outbreak situation at a meeting at state secretariat in south Mumbai and directed the BMC to take help of religious leaders in spreading awareness about vaccination.

Besides Chief Secretary Manukumar Srivastava and BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, a few ministers were also present at the meeting.

In the evening, the chief minister visited the civic-run Kasturba Hospital in central Mumbai to take stock of the situation. During the visit, he interacted with families of children infected with measles and also hospital staff, said the bulletin.