The increase in total number of measles cases was reported from the federal capital Thursday while in rural area of Bara Kahu the outbreak of the disease was reported with more cases coming from the area.

On Wednesday last, five suspected cases were reported from Bara Kahu of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) that have been confirmed and 11 more case have been reported from Phulgaran village of ICT raising the total number of the cases to 16 in rural area of the capital city.

Dr. Akhtar Abbas from the isolation ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) informed this scribe that the two new cases of measles were reported on Thursday and two patients were discharged after recovery. “Four-month-old Denhil from F-7/4 and five years old Uzair from Lalazar came to the hospital with the disease. One patient was admitted while the parents of the other preferred their child to keep at home. Currently four patients are admitted at the hospital whose condition is stable’.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) Health Services Director Dr Hassan Urooj when contacted confirmed that the two cases have been reported from urban area of the city in Pims while there is not patient under treatment in any other hospital of the city.However, Assistant Professor at PIMS Children Hospital and in-charge of the Isolation Ward, Dr. Maqbool Hussain, said that the situation is normal and under control.

He said a meeting was held at Pims to review the situation that noted that there is not a breakout like situation and in routine such number of case are reported and the number has increased due to winter season in which respiratory diseases are increased as measles spreads from respiratory problems.

He maintained that mortality rate is not high in this disease and the death of a two-year-old child at PIMS on Tuesday was also not caused by measles but the carelessness of the her mother and pneumonia.He advised that immunisation is the best protection against measles.

‘Parents should ensure routine vaccination of their children as under the routine immunisation children are vaccinated for measles at the age of 9 months followed by 15 months that is available in all health centers free of cost under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI)’.

Measles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus and it spreads easily through coughing and sneezing. If parents find their child with cold-like symptoms such as fever, flue, watery eyes and sneezing they should bring their child to the doctor. And if rash also appears along with theses symptoms it can be measles, he informed.

He suggested that the infected child should be kept in isolation either in hospital or at home. As a person with measles can spread the virus to others so the parents should not send the infected child to school and should not allow him or her to play with other children so that other children may not contract the virus.