2 children die of suspected measles, 17 infected in MP's Maihar; schools shut for 3 days

Maihar: Two children have died of suspected measles, and 17 are infected in Madhya Pradesh's Maihar, prompting the district authorities to shut all schools in eight villages for three days, a health official said on Monday.

A medical team has been deployed to prevent the further spread of the disease, the official said.

"Two children, one of them seven years old, died of suspected measles on February 14 and 16. Another 17 children were found to be infected in eight villages," the chief medical and health officer (CMHO) LK Tiwari said.

Of the infected children, seven are admitted to a hospital, he said.

Based on a report, the collector has ordered the closure of all government and private schools in the eight affected villages for three days starting Monday and sought a survey of the habitations in the 5 km radius of these villages, the official said.

The collector has also banned gatherings of children at any function in the affected areas, he said.

Samples have been collected from the infected children and sent to Bhopal-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for examination, he said.

A team from the World Health Organisation (WHO) is also expected to visit the affected villages on Monday, the official said.