An infant in southwestern Wisconsin has died from measles, the state’s first such death in 36 years. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services didn't say Thursday where exactly it happened or provide more details. As of Thursday, Wisconsin reported 431 cases of measles, all but three in unvaccinated people. Nine people had been hospitalized. High vaccination rates stopped the spread of measles in the United States in 2000, but cases are rising again as vaccinations decline. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed four measles-associated deaths in the U.S. this year. A higher total has been reported by health departments in several states.
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Lancaster County in Pennsylvania has been the epicenter of the nation's worst measles outbreak in 35 years. It's also home to the largest Amish population in the U.S. Some Amish and related Mennonite groups, with historically lower rates of vaccination, have been hit hard. Vaccination rates also declined in the general population amid the resurgence of a contagious virus considered “eliminated” from the U.S. since 2000. Pennsylvania leads the U.S. this year with over 1,350 cases, more than a third in Lancaster County, according to official figures. Many Amish and Mennonites are showing a new openness to vaccines, while members of the general public are also taking extra precautions.
A member of the Plain community tends to horses at The Green Dragon Farmers Market and Auction in Ephrata, Pa., on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
A hay auction at The Green Dragon Farmers Market and Auction in Ephrata, Pa., on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
A member of the Plain community, center left, sells flowers at The Green Dragon Farmers Market and Auction in Ephrata, Pa., on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Doctors work at the nonprofit, Union Community Care clinic, in Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Dr. Anne-Marie Derrico, left, chief medical officer at the nonprofit Union Community Care, works on a computer at the clinic in Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine at Union Community Care clinic in Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Alice Yoder, Lancaster County Commissioner, sits for a portrait in her office in Lancaster, Pa., on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
A woman from the Plain community rides a scooter in Intercourse, Pa., on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)