Mumbai's measles death tally reaches 12, Centre issues advisory
What's the story
A team from the central government has rushed to Ahmedabad, Malappuram, and Ranchi to analyze and help contain the increasing number of measles cases. The Centre has also instructed states to explore the possibility of administering one more dose of rubella and measles vaccines to all kids between the ages of nine months and five years in hot-spot areas.
Measles outbreak
8-month-old kid dies in Mumbai due to measles
On Wednesday, an eight-month-old infant was detected as the newest casualty of a measles outbreak in Mumbai. Total deaths due to measles went up to 12 in Mumbai as the Centre sounded concerns over the rising cases and also released an advisory. The kid from Bhiwandi developed measles symptoms on Friday and was admitted to Kasturba Hospital, where he died on Wednesday evening.
Information
Measles- Its symptoms and spread
Measles is a serious viral disease that affects small kids but can be prevented easily by a vaccine. The virus spreads via air through respiratory droplets from sneezing and coughing. The symptoms of measles do not appear for 10 to 14 days after being exposed to it. Measles symptoms include a runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, cough, blotchy skin rash, and fever.
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Cause of death will be ascertained: Municipal health official
"The child was only partially immunized. He had all the symptoms of measles. However, the cause of death will be ascertained once we get the post mortem report," stated a municipal health official. Places under Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and a few more districts in Maharashtra have reported a sharp increase in measles cases and deaths.
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Profiling kids who died of measles required: Dr. Shah
Dr. Nitin Shah, a pediatrician at the PDHinduja Hospital, stated that there is a need to trace the profile of the kids who died due to measles. "They must have had other subtle deficiencies like anaemia or malnourishment that can go unnoticed until they become very severe," Shah was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Context
Total number of measles
The number of confirmed cases of measles has reached 233 in the city, with thirteen being reported on Tuesday. Presently, there are approximately 22 outbreaks in the city, primarily concentrated in the suburbs of Chembur, Kurla, Shivaji Nagar, and Govandi. Mahim and Dharavi, which fall under the H eastward, have also reported numerous measles cases.
Advisory
Centre's advisory amid measles outbreak
The Centre's advisory comes amid the rising measles cases in Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand. Dr. Mangala Gomare, the BMC executive health officer, stated that the civic body received the circular on Wednesday but still needed to make definite plans. The expert committee's recommendation included the World Health Organization's consultants, who visited the city to assess the outbreak earlier this month.