A civic health bulletin released on Friday stated that 584 kids in the city have suspected measles infection. The situation is so concerning that a central team of specialists, which included a pediatrician and an epidemiologist, arrived on Friday at noon to meet with regional health officials.

According to a civic official, the unexpected increase in suspected cases is the result of a rapid increase in the number of private doctors who are reporting to the local ward office of their patients cases. In Maharashtra, measles became a reportable condition in 2014, however, just a few clinicians reported them earlier.

The city reported 37, 29, and 10 measles cases in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. But this year, BMC has already confirmed 109 cases, with the majority of those cases (84) occurring between September and October.

The measles outbreak in the Govandi area came to notice in the middle of October, but the deaths of four youngsters - one with confirmed measles and the other three suspected cases - in the final week of October made the situation more alarming.

In the meantime, BMCs medical personnel has conducted door-to-door surveillance in the worst-affected wards, including Govandi, Matunga, Santacruz, Kurla West, and Malad West, covering more than 7 lakh houses.

On Wednesday, BMC also began a second round of vaccinations for kids who missed receiving their first and/or second dose of the measles vaccine. BMC officials said that almost 8,600 youngsters have received vaccinations throughout the city as a whole, compared to 124 in the M East ward over the last two days.

The central team comprising medical professionals from Bengaluru and Pune and headed by Anubhav Srivastav, deputy director of the National Center for Disease Control began its Mumbai visit on Friday noon. The central team will also be accompanied by four doctors from the states health department along with some BMC officials.

(Source:  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/over-500-kids-with-suspected-measles-expert-team-in-mumbai/articleshowprint/95461536.cms?val=3728)