Infant dies in Wisconsin’s first measles death since 1990, officials say

An infant in southwestern Wisconsin has died after contracting measles, state officials announced on 5 November. It was Wisconsin’s first death from the disease since 1990. State health officials said the coroner recorded measles as the cause of death.

As of that day, Wisconsin had reported 431 cases statewide and 9 people had been hospitalized. All but 3 of the cases were in unvaccinated people, STAT said.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services did not give the precise location of the death or other details, to protect the family’s privacy. Department Secretary Kirsten Johnson expressed grief for the family and said a child’s death from a vaccine-preventable disease was especially tragic.

National death counts

The US stopped domestic measles spread in 2000 through high vaccination coverage, but coverage has since fallen below the 95% level needed to prevent outbreaks, STAT said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 4 measles-associated deaths nationwide in 2026. State health departments had reported higher numbers: Pennsylvania officials alone had reported 5 deaths and were investigating a possible sixth. The federal figure is a confirmed count, while the additional Pennsylvania death remains under investigation.