Infant dies in Wisconsin’s first measles death since 1990
An infant in southwestern Wisconsin has died after contracting measles, marking the state’s first death from the disease since 1990. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services did not disclose where the death occurred or provide further information about the family. Health officials said the coroner listed measles as the cause of death, and Kirsten Johnson, the department’s secretary, described the loss as especially tragic because measles is preventable through vaccination.
Wisconsin had reported 431 measles cases by Thursday, with all but three occurring among people who were unvaccinated. Nine patients had been hospitalized. The outbreak reflects a broader decline in vaccination coverage: measles was eliminated from sustained domestic transmission in the United States in 2000, but coverage has fallen below the roughly 95% level considered necessary to prevent outbreaks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed four measles-associated deaths in the U.S. this year, while state health departments have reported higher figures. Pennsylvania officials, for example, have reported five deaths and are investigating a possible sixth.
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