HYDERABAD: The district health authorities have collected samples of clinically suspected measles cases in the city following reports of an outbreak of the disease.

The samples have been sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad for confirmation.

The health authorities have launched a mop-out campaign in union committee 17 (UC) and Seri union council of Latifabad taluka for vaccinating children. According to an health officer of the district, Dr Ahmed Hyder, 39 children were hospitalised. Most of them had been discharged and perhaps 12 of them were under treatment. Mr Hyder confirmed seven deaths in the village of Allah Bux Brohi and Sheikh Mohalla of UC-17 Latifabad.

“Right now we can’t say that it is an outbreak of measles because we base our assessment on clinical examination. Samples are collected and sent to laboratory for confirmation of measles or otherwise and hopefully its results will be available with us in a week,” said Dr Abdul Jalil Bachani, district health officer (DHO) of Hyderabad.

The area is located on the outskirts of Kohsar hills and is mostly rural belt where the deaths and suspected measles cases were reported in the past 10 days. It is a rural belt and is connected with Gulistan-i-Sarmast area.

Bachani was of the view that the mop-up campaign was under way in those areas by health officials for the last few days in which each and every child was being vaccinated against measles. “We have covered Seri UC which touches Tando Mohammad Khan district. But UC-17 has a scattered population, therefore we are trying to cover each and every child,” said the DHO.

About deaths, he said, deceased children’s parents claim that they had been suffering from measles.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2016