Pennsylvania Measles Outbreak Turns Deadly as Death Toll Rises to Three

A rapidly spreading measles outbreak in Pennsylvania has claimed another life, with a 40-year-old woman in Jefferson County dying from complications related to the disease, the county coroner’s office confirmed Sunday.

The latest death brings the number of measles-related deaths linked to the ongoing outbreak in the state to three. The death has also reignited a political dispute between Pennsylvania officials and the federal government over whether the state should seek additional assistance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to contain the outbreak.

According to a statement from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, the woman died Saturday. The coroner’s office is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to review the circumstances surrounding her death.

County Coroner Greg Furlong said the woman was unvaccinated against measles.

Furlong said she contracted the virus from a family member and had underlying chronic respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. She had also required supplemental oxygen around the clock even before becoming infected with measles.

“This is an incredibly heartbreaking loss for the family,” Furlong said in a statement. “It also serves as another reminder that measles is a serious and potentially fatal disease.”

Lancaster County remains the epicenter of the current measles outbreak in Pennsylvania. As of Friday, the state had recorded 676 measles cases, including 108 new infections reported during the previous week. A total of 124 patients have required hospitalization.

Two measles-related deaths were reported in Lancaster County in late August. Those deaths were the first measles-associated fatalities reported in Pennsylvania in 35 years.

However, questions were raised about the circumstances surrounding both deaths. The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office said the victims were two children, but the coroner disputed whether measles was responsible for one of the deaths.

Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said one infant died after suffering a ruptured spleen. According to a forensic pathologist’s assessment, the death was not caused by measles.

The second victim, a six-week-old infant, was confirmed to have died from measles. The child also had a serious genetic condition known as Amish lethal microcephaly.

Federal Assistance Dispute Intensifies

The latest death has intensified disagreement between Pennsylvania officials and the federal government over whether the state should request federal assistance to help contain the outbreak.

Dr. Erica Schwartz, the newly appointed director of the CDC, said Sunday that Pennsylvania officials had not notified the agency about the latest death.

Schwartz said the CDC had repeatedly offered assistance to Pennsylvania, but the state had not requested the agency’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (Epi-Aid) support. Under the program, federal epidemiologists can be deployed to assist local health authorities with outbreak investigations and infection-control efforts.

According to Schwartz, Texas, South Carolina, Virginia, Kansas, New Mexico and Wisconsin have already formally requested Epi-Aid assistance and are working with federal health officials to respond to measles outbreaks.

She said the CDC remains prepared to assist Pennsylvania if the state requests help.

The dispute follows an earlier public clash between Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the state’s response to measles.

After the first two measles-associated deaths were reported in Pennsylvania in August, Shapiro said Kennedy had offered federal assistance but that he had declined it.

Shapiro accused Kennedy of spreading misinformation through his statements and actions concerning vaccines, arguing that such messaging was harming local communities.

Kennedy, who has long expressed skepticism about vaccine safety, responded by criticizing Shapiro on social media. He accused the governor of creating fear and using an infectious disease as a political weapon.

Kennedy also suggested that reports of measles deaths could have been exaggerated or fabricated for political purposes, remarks that sparked widespread criticism.

The death of another adult has now brought that controversy back into the spotlight.

Health Officials Warn Measles Can Affect All Ages

Although measles is often viewed as primarily a childhood illness, health experts warn that it can cause serious complications in people of any age.

Jason Stever, chief deputy coroner and public information officer in Jefferson County, said the latest case highlights the risks posed by the disease.

“Many people think of measles as a childhood disease,” Stever said. “But it can cause serious complications in people of any age.”

He emphasized that measles is highly contagious and can lead to severe respiratory problems, hospitalization and, in rare cases, death.

According to the CDC, about one in five unvaccinated people who contract measles requires hospitalization. About one in 20 children with measles develops pneumonia, which is the most common cause of measles-related death among young children.

About one in every 1,000 children infected with measles develops encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. The CDC estimates that one to three out of every 1,000 children who contract measles die from the disease.

The CDC says vaccination with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most effective way to prevent measles. Two doses of the vaccine provide about 97% protection against measles.

The measles vaccine has been licensed in the United States since 1963. The CDC considers it highly safe, with side effects generally mild and temporary.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Sunday that it had confirmed two measles-associated deaths in the state last month. The department said it remains in contact with the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office regarding the latest death and is conducting its own review.

The department said its top priority is preventing further spread of measles across Pennsylvania, including by expanding access to measles vaccination.

With cases continuing to rise rapidly and another death now reported, the latest development is expected to further intensify both the political debate and the public-health response surrounding Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak.