Pennsylvania Measles Outbreak Claims Sixth Death as Cases Top 1,100

A 39-year-old unvaccinated woman from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, has died after testing positive for measles, marking the sixth death linked to the state’s ongoing outbreak. The outbreak has sickened more than 1,000 people since it began in April.

Sixth measles-related death reported in Pennsylvania

The woman died on Saturday, October 10. Officials said she had several underlying health conditions and had recently tested positive for measles.

In an advisory posted on social media, Franklin County Coroner Jordan Connor said the death met the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s definition of a measles death.

In an emailed statement to The Washington Post, the coroner’s office said the primary cause of death was listed as “possible acute cardiac disease due to possible complications of measles.”

All reported victims were unvaccinated or too young to receive the vaccine

The five earlier deaths linked to the Pennsylvania measles outbreak included infants and young adults. All of those who died had not been vaccinated, although the two infants were too young to receive the measles vaccine.

Pennsylvania measles cases spread across 41 counties

According to the latest Pennsylvania measles update, the state has recorded 1,136 cases since the beginning of the year. Of those, 1,124 are linked to the current outbreak, according to an October 9 announcement from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

In total, 218 people have been hospitalized. The outbreak has spread to 41 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, and health officials report no sign that it is slowing. The state recorded 157 new cases during the previous week alone.