A third person in Pennsylvania has reportedly died due to complications associated with measles. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said that a 40-year-old woman died on Saturday and that, out of respect for the privacy of the deceased and her family, it was providing no additional identifying information.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for the family and an unfortunate reminder that measles can be a serious and potentially life-threatening disease,” wrote Coroner Greg Furlong in a press release posted to Facebook. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.”
The coroner’s office said it is currently working with the state health department on this case. The health department told CIDRAP News it is conducting its own review and will provide the public with updated information when it’s available.
Many people associate measles with childhood illness, but it can lead to severe complications in people of any age, said Jason Stiver, Jefferson County chief deputy coroner and public relations officer.
“While cases of severe illness remain uncommon, this tragedy highlights that measles should not be taken lightly,” said Stiver. “Public health measures, early recognition of symptoms, and consultation with healthcare providers are important tools in protecting our community.”
The Washington Post reports the woman, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, was unvaccinated and had contact with another person with a lab-confirmed measles infection.
2 other measles-associated deaths involved babies
With 676 measles cases reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the state has the most infections in the United States this year.
The outbreak’s epicenter is Lancaster County, where 295 people have contracted the virus, according to the state health department. The more sparsely populated Jefferson County is about a three-and-a-half-hour drive northwest of Lancaster and has reported just 26 measles cases this year.
Pennsylvania’s two other measles-related deaths were among Lancaster County infants, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has yet to record those fatalities in national data.
A spokesperson for the CDC told Bloomberg News that CDC Director Erica Schwartz, MD, MPH, JD, is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized definition for a measles death.
“Until that work is complete,” they said, “CDC will report measles deaths if and when the National Center for Health Statistics reports measles as the underlying cause of death.”
Pennsylvania’s health department offered limited information when it announced the first two fatalities, beyond that both were associated with measles and could have been prevented by vaccination.
However, the Lancaster County coroner said that one of the deaths in question involved a stillborn baby who did not die from measles but from a lacerated spleen. To complicate matters, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. alleged the babies’ fatalities in Pennsylvania might even have been fabricated.
The coroner’s post-mortem assessment was questioned by infectious disease experts who noted that measles can cause inflammation of the spleen, leading it to rupture. Questions intensified after The Atlantic reported that a stillborn baby was delivered by a Lancaster County mother who had contracted a severe measles illness.
The Lancaster County coroner did confirm that a second baby, who was born with a rare genetic disorder called Amish lethal microcephaly, died after contracting measles. The coroner noted that children with this condition are especially vulnerable to respiratory illnesses