mumbai the state measles task force has asked private practitioners and medical officers from districts to train their focus on children slipping into malnutrition postmeasles infection the ongoing outbreak in the state has highlighted the deadly link between malnutrition and measles with over 90 of fatalities seen in undernourished babies at a webinar held on wednesday members of the state task force told 1300 medical officers across the state that while malnourished children have a higher chance of suffering from severe measles there is also a possibility of children becoming malnourished post the infection maharashtra has reported 20 measles deaths this year the highest in the last four years the number of outbreaks in the state has crossed 131 leading to 16264 suspected and 1047 confirmed cases dr pramod jog a member of the task force said children can develop malnutrition in 68 weeks due to the toll taken by the infection the disease duration is nine days but it could compromise their nutritional status he said the task force has asked private practitioners to monitor growth charts of children coming to their clinics any drop in weight should be a red flag for malnutrition he said officials said districts have been told to focus on nutrition and immunization as two key markers deaths were primarily seen in malnourished babies who were also not immunised an official of the public health department said the women child department which regulates anganwadis and has a list of kids in moderate acute malnutrition mam and severe acute malnutrition sam should take a more proactive role of the 20 deaths in the state 10 are boys and an equal number are girls the state review has shown that barring one child who was partially vaccinated none of the children had got a single dose dr jog said a single dose can offer up to 80 protection which goes up to 97 after both doses are administered the special zero dose and additional dose drives kicked off in the state on thursday in mumbai the special drive started since december where 19 of 235 lakh children aged 9months to 5 years have taken the additional third dose almost 24 babies from 6months to 9months have taken the zero dose in the city as per civic numbers fewer cases of measles are being found now on thursday 34 suspected cases were detected which used to be more than 100 till a few weeks ago