Pennsylvania woman dies after respiratory failure suspected to be linked to measles
The 40-year-old woman’s infection had not been confirmed by testing, while state authorities review the case.
A 40-year-old unvaccinated woman in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, has died after respiratory failure suspected to be linked to measles, according to the county coroner and reporting by Ars Technica.
A preliminary death certificate listed the immediate cause as respiratory failure “due to suspected measles”. The woman had reportedly been exposed to someone with measles and had symptoms including the characteristic rash, but her infection had not been confirmed by testing when the coroner spoke to The New York Times.
The woman also had chronic health conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and required continuous supplemental oxygen. The available information does not establish the precise contribution of measles to her death.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health is reviewing the case and has not included it in the state’s official outbreak tally. The department said it was in contact with the coroner and would provide updated information after its review.
The death has been reported as the third measles-related death in the United States this year. The other two involved infants in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The state’s outbreak has exceeded 670 cases and 124 hospitalisations across 37 counties, after Pennsylvania went 35 years without reporting a measles death.
