Wisconsin Infant Dies of Measles, First Death From the Disease in the State Since 1990

An infant in Wisconsin has died after contracting measles, the first death from the disease in the state since 1990, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said on Thursday.

The department said a coroner listed measles as the immediate cause of death. The infant's case was part of the outbreak in the southern part of the state. Officials said they would not release the child's age, hometown or other details, to protect the family's privacy.

"My heart is broken for the family," DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson said. "Any death of a child is a tragedy and even more so when it is related to a vaccine-preventable disease. Measles can cause serious illness and death, and it is important for all Wisconsinites to evaluate their risk and take steps to protect themselves and their family."

The largest outbreak in three decades

Wisconsin has recorded 431 confirmed measles cases in 13 counties this year, the most in more than 35 years. The count stood at 335 two weeks earlier. The state recorded 36 cases in all of 2025.

Nine people have been hospitalized. State figures show all but three of the cases were in people who had not been vaccinated.

In past years, most Wisconsin cases were tied to international travel. Officials say cases now spread through domestic travel and through exposure to family members and others in the community.

Third death reported this week

The Wisconsin death is the third measles-related death reported in the United States this week. On Monday, New York health officials announced that a child in rural Lewis County had died, the state's first measles death in 30 years. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania said an unvaccinated resident of rural Jefferson County had died after testing positive. It was the sixth measles death in Pennsylvania this year.

Across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has counted 4,852 measles cases this year, the most since 1991. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.

The CDC raised its official death toll to four this week. State health departments have reported at least eight measles deaths this year. Three people died of measles in 2025, and before that the most recent measles death in the United States was in 2015. An international meeting to review the United States elimination status is scheduled for next week.

Vaccination rates below the safety line

Anyone can develop severe measles complications, including pneumonia and swelling of the brain. The risk is highest for children younger than 5, people with weak immune systems and people who are pregnant.

Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are 97 percent effective against measles. About 85 percent of Wisconsin kindergartners have received the MMR vaccine, well below the 95 percent coverage health officials say is needed to stop the virus from spreading through a community.

"That is really the central issue here," said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, the state's chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for communicable diseases. "Measles is now spreading because there are enough people who are susceptible to infection for the virus to continue finding new hosts."

The department updated its guidance this week to recommend an early dose of MMR vaccine for certain infants between 6 and 11 months old who face a higher risk of exposure during the outbreak. The standard schedule starts at a child's first birthday.