Key facts
- A 39-year-old unvaccinated woman in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, died on October 10 from complications of measles.
- This death brings Pennsylvania's total measles-associated fatalities to six.
- The woman had underlying health conditions and had recently tested positive for measles.
- As of October 9, Pennsylvania had reported 1,136 measles cases across 41 counties.
- The state has seen 157 new cases in the previous week.
- The US has reported 4,080 measles cases nationwide in 2026, the highest total since 1991.
Pennsylvania has recorded its sixth death associated with measles, a 39-year-old unvaccinated woman in Franklin County who died on October 10. The woman had several underlying health conditions and recently tested positive for the virus, according to an advisory from Franklin County Coroner Jordan Conner. The primary cause of death was listed as a probable acute cardiac event due to possible complications of measles.
The state's measles outbreak, which began in April, has now infected over a thousand people. As of October 9, state health officials reported 1,136 cases across 41 counties, with 218 hospitalizations. The outbreak has seen 157 new cases reported in the week prior to the latest update.
The US is experiencing its highest number of measles cases since 1991, with a nationwide total of 4,080 reported for the year. Experts anticipate the US may lose its measles elimination status at an upcoming Pan American Health Organization meeting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has included two of the six reported measles deaths in Pennsylvania in its national reporting.