Sixth Measles Fatality Reported in Pennsylvania Amid Ongoing Outbreak

A 39-year-old unvaccinated woman in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, died on Saturday, Oct. 10, after testing positive for measles. County Coroner Jordan Conner posted an advisory confirming the death meets the state health department’s definition of a measles-related fatality.

The primary cause of death was listed as “probable acute cardiac event due to possible complications of the measles,” the coroner’s office said in a statement to the Washington Post. The victim had several underlying health conditions. She is the sixth person to die in the state’s outbreak, which began in April and has affected more than 1,100 residents across 41 counties. The previous deaths included a newborn, a six-week-old infant, an 18-year-old, a 20-year-old and a 40-year-old; all were unvaccinated, with the infants too young for vaccination. State health officials said they are reviewing the case and will issue an update after the review is complete. As of Oct. 9, the Pennsylvania health department reported 1,136 measles cases this year, 218 of which required hospitalization, and noted 157 new cases in the preceding week. Nationwide, measles cases have risen to 4,080 for the year, the highest total since 1991, prompting concerns about the United States losing its measles elimination status in the upcoming PAHO review.