NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district has reported no fresh measles case in the past seven days, indicating an improvement in the outbreak situation following stepped-up surveillance, vaccination and preventive healthcare measures, Union Health Ministry officials said on Saturday.
The Centre and the Madhya Pradesh government have been coordinating the response since a cluster of fever, fever accompanied by rashes and associated deaths was reported from tribal areas of Birsa block in the second week of July.
A National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) was sent to Balaghat on August 12 to strengthen the multidisciplinary response. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other national health institutions have also been assisting the investigation.
The situation was reviewed at the national level on August 4, with officials examining the epidemiological pattern, reported deaths, measles and malaria findings, laboratory results, entomological assessments and containment measures.
The response has involved public health surveillance experts, the Immunisation Division, the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) and an independent ICMR investigation team.
Teams from ICMR-Jabalpur and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur have been visiting affected areas and providing technical inputs to state authorities.
Surveillance, initially covering three villages, has now been expanded to nearly 50 villages. More than 10 doctors and 10 community health officers have been deployed on a continuous basis for screening and treatment.
Six mobile medical units are operating in Birsa and Baihar blocks, offering fever screening, outpatient care, maternal and child healthcare, tuberculosis and non-communicable disease screening, diagnosis and medicines in remote tribal and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) settlements.
According to officials, 32,433 people have so far undergone medical examinations, while 431 children were referred to and admitted to healthcare facilities. Of these, 379 have recovered and been discharged, while 52 remain under treatment and observation.
Under the outbreak-response immunisation programme, an additional measles-rubella (MR) vaccine dose has been administered to 14,637 children aged one to 10 years, regardless of their previous vaccination status.
Preventive measures have also been intensified. More than 600 drinking-water sources have been treated, insecticide spraying has been completed in 4,338 households, and fogging has been carried out in affected and neighbouring areas.
Healthcare infrastructure at Songudda Primary Health Centre and other facilities has been strengthened with additional beds, medicines, medical officers, laboratory support, infection-control arrangements and isolation facilities. A temporary hospital at Kundekasa is also providing treatment when required.
Officials said the response has simultaneously addressed malnutrition and other childhood illnesses. Screening identified 7,711 children with severe acute malnutrition, with 518 requiring admission to nutrition-rehabilitation centres.
A total of 13,406 children suffering from diarrhoea and 274 with severe pneumonia have also been identified and treated. Children suspected of having serious bacterial infections have been provided specialised care.
Under Dastak 2026, around 1.58 lakh children have been screened, with Vitamin A supplementation and other child-health interventions carried out.
The government has also undertaken a case-by-case and retrospective assessment of reported deaths, including verbal autopsies and reviews of available medical records.
Officials said the evidence points to multiple clinical factors, including measles, malaria, co-infection involving both diseases, respiratory distress, dehydration, malnutrition, anaemia and shock.
Several deaths occurred either at home or before patients reached appropriate healthcare facilities, limiting the availability of medical records and diagnostic samples.
The Centre said the deaths cannot be conclusively linked to a single pathogen in the absence of sufficient evidence. Measures targeting measles, malaria and other identified health risks are continuing.
The Centre and Madhya Pradesh government are maintaining close surveillance, particularly among vulnerable tribal and PVTG communities, with efforts focused on early detection, prompt treatment, immunisation, disease prevention and improving access to healthcare in remote areas.