Fourth measles death recorded in Pennsylvania
The county medical examiner’s office stated in a Facebook post that the latest death involved an 18-year-old resident of Mifflin County, in central Pennsylvania. It explained that the cause of death was acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare and serious neurological complication of measles.
On Saturday, a 40-year-old woman from Jefferson County, a rural area in western Pennsylvania, died from measles complications. Last month, two infants infected with measles died in Lancaster County, in the southeastern part of the state.
According to the state Department of Health, none of the four individuals had received the vaccine. The two infants were too young to be vaccinated, in accordance with current recommendations.
The United States is experiencing its worst year for measles since 1991, with seven measles-related deaths reported over the past two years—more than the total number of deaths reported during the previous three decades combined.
The measles outbreak in Pennsylvania continues to grow, with nearly 700 cases reported so far this year across 38 counties, including approximately 100 cases in the past seven days. State officials say these measles-related deaths are the first reported in the state in 35 years.
State Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to the two most recent deaths—both of adults: “My thoughts are with the two families who have lost loved ones to this highly contagious virus, as Pennsylvania faces its worst measles outbreak in over three decades.”
She added, “We remain committed to working with our partners across Pennsylvania to stop this outbreak and prevent further deaths. This means ensuring people have access to the facts about measles and to the MMR vaccine, which has kept measles outbreaks under control for decades.”
The country eliminated endemic measles transmission in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, but coverage has declined in recent years to below the 95% threshold required to prevent outbreaks. Meanwhile, measles cases have increased in recent years.
