DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP) — Bangladesh has recorded 311 child deaths since March in one of its worst measles outbreaks in decades, government data showed Monday.

The number of suspected cases has reached 41,793, while authorities logged the highest daily death toll since the outbreak began on March 15, with 17 children dead within 24 hours.

“Some children were already in a critical condition to a point of no return,” government health services spokesman Zahid Raihan told AFP. “That’s why the recorded deaths are still increasing.”

Measles is highly contagious, spreading through coughs and sneezes, and has no specific treatment once caught.

Complications can include brain swelling and severe breathing problems. While the disease can affect anyone, it is most common among children.

Most cases recoded in Bangladesh during the current outbreak have been among children aged between six months and five years.

Health officials are working to vaccinate children in the country of 170 million people, with support from the United Nation (UN) children’s agency, the World Health Organization (WHO) and security forces.

The WHO estimates as many as 95,000 measles deaths globally every year, mostly among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under the age of five, according to its latest statistics.