Wisconsin infant dies of measles, the state's first such death in 36 years

Wisconsin health officials announced Thursday that an infant in southwestern Wisconsin has died after contracting measles. It is the state's first death from the disease in 36 years. State health officials said the coroner listed measles as the cause of death.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services did not say where the death happened and gave no further details, citing the need to protect the family's privacy.

Kirsten Johnson, secretary of the state health department, said her heart is broken for the family. She said any death of a child is a tragedy, and even more so when it is related to a disease that can be prevented by vaccine.

As of Thursday, Wisconsin had reported 431 measles cases. All but three were in unvaccinated people, and nine people had been hospitalized.

The report gives this wider context. The United States stopped the domestic spread of measles in 2000 by keeping vaccination rates high. Those rates have fallen in recent years to below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed four measles-associated deaths in the country this year, but state health departments have reported higher numbers. Pennsylvania alone has reported five deaths this year, and officials there are investigating a possible sixth.