Wisconsin health officials announced Thursday the state's first infant death linked to measles in 36 years. The infant's measles infection was listed as the immediate cause of death by the coroner, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, which declined to provide further details to protect the family's privacy.
This marks a somber milestone as the United States grapples with its highest number of measles cases in decades. Outbreaks have been reported in multiple states, with some communities experiencing a decline in childhood vaccination rates.
As of November 3, Wisconsin had documented 431 measles cases across 13 counties, resulting in nine hospitalizations for severe symptoms. State epidemiologist Ryan Westergaard described this as the largest number of cases seen in Wisconsin in over 35 years, adding that the reported figures are likely an underestimate.
"Not everyone who becomes infected gets tested or comes to the attention of public health," Westergaard stated.
Health officials in Wisconsin have been collaborating with local and Tribal health departments on outbreak response, which includes case tracking, testing, and vaccination initiatives.
The infant's death follows similar reports from other states. Pennsylvania health officials reported their sixth measles-associated death this year on Wednesday, and New York reported its first child death linked to the disease earlier this week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded four measles-related deaths nationwide this year, though the specific states were not immediately identified. A policy change by the CDC now uses mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics, rather than solely relying on figures from state health departments, to track measles deaths.