A 39-year-old woman from Chambersburg, Pa., who had been diagnosed with measles has died. The woman is the sixth person to die with measles amid a historic statewide outbreak in Pennsylvania.
The Franklin County Coroner confirmed the news in a press release Monday.
"This is the first death in Franklin County in many years with a patient with a recent history of measles diagnosis," Franklin County Coroner Jordan Conner, a Republican, said in a statement.
The office said it investigated the death Saturday and found that the woman had several underlying conditions including a previous case of measles that had been treated. The office declined to specify what other underlying conditions were apparent from the investigation.
Officials declined to identify the woman or disclose whether anyone may have been exposed to the virus as a result of interacting with her. It's unclear whether the woman had been vaccinated against measles.
Pennsylvania's statewide measles outbreak climbed to more than 1,130 cases as of late last week. According to the state health department, 219 people have been hospitalized.
Conner urged the public to adhere to medical guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which has been hosting dozens of popup vaccination clinics to boost immunity.
"Caution and vigilance are key to our success in the treatment of this disease and its after [effects]," Conner said.
Measles has not been as widespread in Franklin County as compared to other counties in Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania. As of late last week, the county has only recorded seven cases of measles.
The Chambersburg woman is the sixth death recorded as part of the outbreak. But state and federal officials have clashed over how to characterize the climbing number of measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania.
A measles-associated death is defined by state officials as one that occurs within 30 days of symptom onset and with clinical evidence of an infection such as a positive laboratory test. The death can not be due to other unrelated causes such as a car accident.
But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has only recognized two measles-associated deaths nationwide. The agency's website does not say where the deaths occurred, but Pennsylvania is the only state to have reported fatal measles cases so far this year.
Read more from our partners at WESA.
