Home · Health · Oct 23 archive
Pennsylvania Reports Over 1,300 Measles Cases in 2026
· Confirmed
In Short: Pennsylvania's health department has reported over 1,300 measles cases this year, with the outbreak continuing to spread.
Pennsylvania's health department reported more than 1,300 measles cases this year, with the outbreak continuing to spread across 44 counties.
As of October 19, the state had recorded 1,286 measles cases, according to Ars Technica.
The outbreak, which began in late April, has led to five measles-associated deaths, with a sixth death reported recently by a local coroner.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) said state health center staff have administered more than 6,500 measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations at pop-up clinics in affected communities.
The DOH added 78 new cases over the past seven days, bringing the total to 1,338 cases.
Of the confirmed cases, 17% have been in children under the age of 5, and 42% have been in kids and adolescents ages 5 to 19.
The outbreak has been concentrated in Lancaster County, which is known for its traditional Amish roots and open farmland.
The state health department said none of the victims was vaccinated, and Franklin County officials reported the 39-year-old had a previous measles diagnosis and 'several underlying conditions.'
The outbreak has also raised concerns about unreported infections in neighboring Chester County, where 93 cases have been reported this year.
Health officials are investigating a spike in cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness nicknamed the 'explosive diarrhea parasite.'
The outbreak is the largest of multiple outbreaks across the US, happening amid an uproar over Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's controversial vaccine stance.
What this adds
The number of confirmed US measles cases has hit 4,588, more than doubling its total from last year.
Background
Pennsylvania is facing its worst measles outbreak in three decades, with the state health department reporting 1,260 cases as of Friday.
The number of measles cases in the United States has more than doubled this year, reaching 4,588 cases as of the latest CDC report, compared to 2,244 cases reported in 2025.
What's confirmed
- As of October 19, Pennsylvania had reported 1,286 measles cases this year across 42 counties, according to Ars Technica.
- Pennsylvania's Lancaster County is known for its traditional Amish roots and open farmland. ( AFP: René Mattes/Hemis ) The US state of Pennsylvania is grappling with its worst measles outbreak in three decades, with more than 1,300 cases reported since April.
What's still developing
- Uganda, which declared itself Ebola-free in July after recording 20 cases, has denied claims that Nigeria’s first case originated there.
- It has since infected more than 9,500 people and killed nearly half of them, making it the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak in history.
- The WHO said on Wednesday that it had advised “all countries in the region to sustain a high level of readiness as the DRC outbreak continues to evolve.” In parts of Congo, including North Kivu, health authorities say the disease is out of control, with most recorded deaths occurring in the community and contact tracing struggling to keep pace with the virus’ spread.
- “We are doing everything possible to contain this case by tracing all the contacts the individual may have had,” he said.
- Dr Jean Kaseya, the director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, said on X that “we are facing an extremely serious threat,” with a fatality rate of nearly 50% of cases.
- Tuesday, October 20, 2026 · 9:04 PM ET Updated 9:04 PM ET · 8:11 PM ET Confirmed In Short: Pennsylvania's health department issued a health alert warning of an increase in measles cases among pregnant individuals and the subsequent rise in congenital measles cases, which have not been seen in decades.
- Bangladesh, whose routine vaccination program faltered in 2025, has reported 202,000 suspected measles cases — 22,000 of them laboratory-confirmed — from the start of the outbreak in mid-March to Oct. 9, the World Health Organization said.
- “There is a gap,” prime ministerial adviser Hyder told Reuters on Sept. 14, as measles cases rose again, blaming vaccine hesitancy by parents or child illnesses for keeping children away.
- The Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak has claimed almost 4,000 deaths and infected 8,224 so far, Mankoula added.
- Doctors found strange nodules growing on their lungs, and several people died as cases mounted over the next few years.
- Kenya has been on heightened alert, as a major Ebola outbreak centered in Congo has spread across borders in the region.
- That figure amounts to a rise of nearly $1.30 since the start late February.