Home · Health · Oct 13 archive
Unvaccinated Woman Dies of Measles in Pennsylvania
Confirmed
In Short: A 39-year-old unvaccinated woman in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, has become the sixth person to die of measles this year.
A 39-year-old unvaccinated woman in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, has become the sixth person to die of measles this year, according to state health officials. The woman had several underlying health conditions and had recently tested positive for measles, according to an advisory posted on social media by Franklin County Coroner Jordan Conner.
The woman's death meets the definition of a measles-associated death set by the state’s health department, which requires that the death occurred within 30 days of symptom onset and there is both clinical evidence and a positive laboratory test for measles.
According to the coroner’s office, the primary cause of death was listed as a probable acute cardiac event due to possible complications of the measles. The previous five deaths amid the state’s measles outbreak included a newborn, a 6-week-old, an 18-year-old, a 20-year-old, and a 40-year-old.
As of Friday, state health officials reported 1,136 cases across 41 counties, with 219 hospitalizations. This marks the largest outbreak of the extremely contagious virus in the U.S. since 1991, with nearly 3,900 reported cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is excluding two measles deaths reported by Pennsylvania health officials last week from its latest update of national measles data. The CDC continues to investigate whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths or whether the individuals died from other causes while infected with measles.
Prior to these deaths, there had not been a measles death reported in the country since 2015. The nation has seen eight reported measles-associated deaths in the past two years, more than the combined total of reported deaths over the previous three decades.
The resurgence of measles in the U.S. is attributed to misinformation and slipping vaccination rates. The nation eliminated the domestic spread of measles in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, but those rates have fallen in recent years to below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks.
In Pennsylvania alone, there have been 1,136 cases since the start of the year, with 1,124 of those cases from the current outbreak. Philadelphia alone logged some 1,400 measles cases in the 1990-1991 outbreak.
The governor of New York has declared a disaster emergency because of measles cases in neighboring states and in rural areas of New York.
The CDC is conducting a thorough review of the reported death and will update the public after their investigation is finished.
The outbreak has affected 39 counties in Pennsylvania, with the largest number of cases in Chester County. The total number of cases in the Philadelphia region is 95.
The resurgence of measles is a stark reminder of the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of highly infectious diseases.
What this adds
The CDC is excluding two measles deaths reported by Pennsylvania health officials last week from its latest update of national measles data, pending further investigation.
The nation has seen eight reported measles-associated deaths in the past two years, more than the combined total of reported deaths over the previous three decades.
Background
A 39-year-old unvaccinated woman in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, has become the sixth person to die of measles this year.
A sixth measles-related death was reported Monday in Pennsylvania, involving a 39-year-old woman in Franklin County, amid the state’s largest outbreak in three decades.
What's confirmed
- In an emailed statement to The Washington Post, the coroner’s office said the primary cause of death was listed as “probable acute cardiac event due to possible complications of the measles.” The previous five deaths amid the state’s measles outbreak included a newborn, a 6-week-old, an 18-year-old, a 20-year-old, and a 40-year-old.
- A spokesperson for Franklin County told NBC news the “primary cause of death was a probable acute cardiac event due to possible complications of the measles.” In Pennsylvania, a death is “measles-associated” if it occurred within 30 days of symptom onset and there is both clinical evidence and a positive laboratory test for measles.
- Officials said she had several underlying conditions, but her death meets the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s definition of a measles-associated death.
- The 39-year-old woman had underlying health conditions and had previously been treated for measles, the Franklin County Coroner’s Office said Monday.
- Pennsylvania has reported its sixth measles-associated death of the year, according to state officials.
- NEW YORK (AP) — Pennsylvania has surpassed 1,000 measles cases this year, state health officials said Monday, making it the largest state outbreak in more than three decades.
- The U.S. is enduring its worst year for measles since 1991, with nearly 3,900 reported cases, according to the CDC.
- The nation eliminated the domestic spread of measles in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, but those rates have fallen in recent years to below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks.
- U.S. measles infections have been surging in recent years, as fewer kids get routine vaccines due to parental waivers, healthcare access issues and rampant disinformation.
What's still developing
- The unidentified woman died Saturday, Greg Furlong, the coroner for Jefferson County, said in a statement posted to Facebook.
- More than 4,000 measles cases have been confirmed nationwide this year More than 4,000 measles cases have been confirmed nationwide this year Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?