Bangladesh's measles outbreak has claimed more than 600 lives since mid-March, with seven children dying of suspected measles in the 24 hours till 8am Wednesday, according to the latest data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The latest fatalities pushed the cumulative number of suspected and confirmed measles-related deaths to 601 since March 15.

Of the total deaths, 511 were classified as suspected measles deaths, while 90 were laboratory-confirmed. No new confirmed deaths were reported during the latest reporting period.

The country also recorded 1,210 new suspected measles cases in the past 24 hours, raising the cumulative number of suspected infections to 74,572 since the outbreak began, according to the Health Emergency Operations Centre and Control Room of the DGHS.

During the same period, 55 new cases were confirmed through laboratory testing, bringing the total number of confirmed measles infections to 9,191.

Health authorities said 60,158 suspected measles  patients have been hospitalized since March 15, while 55,942 have recovered and been discharged.

Dhaka remains the worst-affected district in terms of mortality, recording the highest number of both suspected and confirmed measles deaths. Six of the seven deaths reported in the past 24 hours occurred in the capital district.

The DGHS said it continues to monitor the outbreak closely as health authorities intensify disease surveillance and response efforts across the country.