No measles testing lab in Chittagong, samples being sent to Dhaka

There is no measles testing lab in Chittagong, the country’s second largest city and commercial capital. Patients’ samples have to be sent to Dhaka. This has put both the patients and their relatives in a crisis. However, to reduce the suffering, the Department of Health is verifying the measles testing capacity at the Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) in Sitakunda.
According to hospital sources, children of different ages are being admitted to government and private hospitals in Chittagong every day with measles symptoms such as fever, cold and cough, shortness of breath and red rashes on the body. So far, 35 people have been diagnosed with measles and one has died.
This is also increasing the concern of parents. However, despite being a divisional city, there is no measles testing facility in Chittagong. Samples have to be collected and sent to Dhaka. Dr. Musa Mia, head of the child health department at CHMEC Hospital, said that since there has been a major outbreak, further decentralization may be required if such a situation arises in the future. Perhaps if more labs are set up, it will be possible to quickly determine whether it is measles or some other viral infection in such cases.
He also said that identifying the measles virus is very important for early detection of any epidemic or disaster and for strategic planning regarding vaccination. Apart from Cox’s Bazar and the three hill districts, patients with measles symptoms come to Chittagong from almost all the districts of the division—such as Comilla, Noakhali, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Feni—and they are also facing problems due to lack of testing facilities.
Chittagong Civil Surgeon Dr. Jahangir Alam said, IPH is in Dhaka. We send samples from there and the report comes within two to three days. Meanwhile, the Health Department is verifying the measles testing capacity of the Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) located in Fauzdarhat.
Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Sheikh Fazle Rabbi said that they have adequate manpower and technical expertise. Working doctors are also capable of doing these tests. However, this activity is not possible without the provision of necessary kits, reagents and ancillary equipment.
On the other hand, Acting Director of BITID, Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed said, “We have BSL-2 Plus and BSL-3 i.e. Biosafety Level-3 laboratories, which we can call the only effective Biosafety Level-3 laboratory in Bangladesh. We have adequate capacity to diagnose ongoing measles or measles cases.”