Pennsylvania coroner reports measles death, toll rises to six

Oct 12 — Pennsylvania's Franklin County coroner on Monday reported a measles-associated death in a 39-year-old woman with several ​health conditions, the state's sixth death linked to the disease.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the coroner said the death, investigated on Saturday, met the ‌Pennsylvania Department of Health's definition of a measles-associated death.

The woman had several underlying health conditions, including a past diagnosis ⁠of measles with treatment, the coroner's office ​said. It, however, did not give additional ⁠details, citing patient privacy.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said it was aware of the ‌information reported by the ‌Franklin County coroner and was conducting a review of the reported death. It ⁠said it has confirmed five measles-associated deaths since ⁠late August.

"Our team has reached out to the coroner's office and is conducting a thorough review of the reported death. We will update the public after our investigation is finished," the department said in a statement.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not ‌immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Pennsylvania's health department previously ​reported more than 1,000 cases and five deaths related to measles as the state continues to grapple with a rapidly growing outbreak.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not specifically confirmed the Pennsylvania cases but has said there were two measles-related deaths nationwide. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have publicly disagreed over how measles deaths are defined.

The CDC has ​shifted to using mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for its national measles death ‌count, moving away ‌from reliance ⁠on reports by state health departments — drawing scrutiny.

The agency has said it is working with a group of state epidemiologists on a standard definition for measles-related deaths. The agency has said its death count could change as additional information becomes available and reviews are completed.

Measles ‌is a highly contagious viral ​disease but can be prevented with the measles, ‌mumps and rubella vaccine, which ⁠is about 97% ​effective after two doses.

(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy, Christy Santhosh and Sahil Pandey in Bengaluru; Editing by ​Vijay Kishore)

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