A 40-year-old woman has died from complications associated with measles in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, in what officials have confirmed as the county’s first measles-related death.
Coroner Greg Furlong said the woman died on Saturday. She had not been vaccinated and had several underlying health conditions, he said.
Furlong said she developed symptoms after close contact with a neighbour who had a confirmed case of measles. Her husband also became ill but recovered.
Laboratory tests later confirmed that the woman had measles. Furlong said she had developed “textbook” symptoms, including a rash which appeared after about three to four days.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for the family and an unfortunate reminder that measles can be a serious and potentially life-threatening disease,” Furlong said in a statement.
He asked the public and media to respect the family’s privacy as they mourned.
Measles cases reported across Pennsylvania
Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jason Stiver warned that measles can cause severe respiratory illness and lead to hospitalisation or death, including in adults.
“Many people associate measles with a childhood illness, but it can lead to severe complications in individuals of any age,” he said.
The county is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health as it responds to the spread of the virus.
State health officials reported 693 measles cases in Pennsylvania in 2026 as of Monday, including 99 recorded during the previous week. Cases have been reported in 38 counties, with Lancaster County accounting for nearly half of the total and two measles-related deaths previously reported there.
Cases have also been recorded in western Pennsylvania, including Armstrong, Indiana, Mercer and Westmoreland counties.
Dr Joe Aracri, chief of paediatrics at Allegheny Health Network, said the outbreak had not reached Pittsburgh and that Allegheny County was not experiencing an outbreak.
He said parents should consider where they are travelling with babies and whether they are visiting areas where measles cases are concentrated. The first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is 93 per cent effective, he said.
Aracri advised people who believe their child has been exposed to measles to call a doctor before attending a hospital or surgery, to help prevent further transmission.
More than 46,000 MMR vaccine doses were used across Pennsylvania in August, compared with about 25,000 in a normal month. The state said 93 per cent of kindergartners were vaccinated, while herd immunity is estimated at about 95 per cent.
