Pennsylvania reports a likely third death linked to measles
In the US state of Pennsylvania, a coroner has reported the death of a 40-year-old woman linked to the ongoing measles outbreak. The woman died on Saturday, and the case could become the third death associated with the outbreak in the state, The Guardian World reports.
Previous deaths and the scale of the outbreak
Two infants had previously died in Pennsylvania. One child was born with a genetic defect that made the child vulnerable to infection. The other infant contracted measles and died as a result of a ruptured spleen.
According to the publication, the Jefferson County coroner's office is working with state health authorities on the woman's death. The latest update from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, released on Friday, did not yet include information about this case.
As of last week, there were nearly 700 measles cases in 37 counties in the state. The outbreak is most concentrated in Lancaster and Mifflin counties, which have large farming communities.
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The danger of infection
Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner and public relations specialist Jason Stiver said that measles can cause severe complications in people of any age. According to him, the disease is highly contagious and can lead to severe respiratory illness, hospitalization and, in rare cases, death.
According to the data cited in the report, one in five unvaccinated people who contract measles requires hospitalization. Between one and three children per 1,000 patients die from measles-related respiratory and neurological complications.
Recording deaths
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a gradual decline in vaccination rates among children entering kindergarten, including vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella. According to the publication, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the CDC not to include the two previous deaths in Pennsylvania in the overall count. At the same time, state health authorities counted both cases as measles-associated deaths.
