Pennsylvania reports apparent third measles-linked death as outbreak nears 700 cases
A Pennsylvania coroner has announced the death of a 40-year-old woman associated with the state’s ongoing measles outbreak, a case that appears to mark the third death tied to the outbreak.
The woman died Saturday, according to WTAE in Pittsburgh. The Jefferson County coroner’s office is working with Pennsylvania state health officials on the case. The state Department of Health’s latest measles update, released Friday, did not reflect the death.
Two earlier deaths involved infants. In one case, the infant was born with a genetic defect that made her vulnerable to infection. The second infant was infected with measles and died of a ruptured spleen, according to earlier reports. State health officials have counted both deaths as measles-associated.
Jason Stiver, Jefferson County’s chief deputy coroner and public relations officer, told WTAE that measles is often associated with childhood but can cause severe complications at any age.
“Many people associate measles with a childhood illness, but it can lead to severe complications in individuals of any age,” Stiver said.
He added: “Measles is highly contagious and can result in serious respiratory illness, hospitalization, and in rare cases like this, death. We encourage residents to stay informed, follow guidance from public health officials, and take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their families.”
Stiver said that while cases of severe illness remain uncommon, the tragedy shows that measles should not be taken lightly.
Measles is one of the most infectious diseases known to medicine. It hospitalizes about one in five unvaccinated people it infects, and between one and three children out of every 1,000 die from measles-related respiratory and neurologic complications.
As of last week, Pennsylvania had nearly 700 measles cases across 37 counties. The outbreak is heavily concentrated in Lancaster and Mifflin counties, home to large farming communities.
The new death comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a steady decline in kindergarten vaccination rates, including for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Experts have blamed the drop in part on the vaccine’s success—few people remember when children regularly died of measles—and on confusion caused by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US health secretary and a longtime vaccine skeptic who has repeatedly linked vaccines to autism without evidence.
According to reports, Kennedy recently asked the CDC to exclude Pennsylvania’s two earlier measles deaths from its tally and later acknowledged in a social media post that the CDC “waited for the evidence.” Pennsylvania officials have counted both deaths as measles-associated.
In a statement, Kennedy said the Lancaster County coroner had publicly stated that measles caused only the second infant’s death and that the infant had Amish lethal microcephaly, a rare genetic condition in which infants typically live only about six months, receive palliative care from birth and die at about two months of age. Kennedy said the coroner also continued to state that the first infant died from a lacerated spleen, not measles.
The apparent third death underscores how a preventable disease can still take a toll when immunity gaps persist, and it is likely to intensify scrutiny of vaccination policy and public health messaging as the outbreak continues.