Pennsylvania Measles Outbreak Crosses Troubling Threshold

Pennsylvania has crossed an unwelcome threshold: Its ongoing measles outbreak has now infected more than 1,000 people, the first US outbreak to do so since 1991, the Washington Post reports. Health officials say 1,004 cases have been recorded across 39 counties, with nearly 200 hospitalizations and five deaths reported as of Monday.

The virus has spread in communities where many residents missed the recommended two-dose measles vaccine; ABC 6 reports one longtime midwife who serves the Amish community is spreading awareness of the importance of vaccination. Three of the deaths were adults, underscoring that the risks extend beyond unvaccinated children and reflect decades of uneven immunization, not just recent declines. The last time the US saw a measles outbreak of this scale was Philadelphia's 1991 epidemic, which sickened about 1,400 and killed nine. This year's outbreaks in Pennsylvania, Utah, and South Carolina signal how much ground the country has lost since declaring measles eliminated in 2000. New York also recently declared a state of emergency over its own 108 cases this year, the New York Times reports.