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Wisconsin measles cases reach 207 as U.S. total tops 4,000
Wisconsin had 207 measles cases as of Oct. 8, part of a national total that rose to 4,080—the highest annual count in decades. The state’s tally did not change in the latest weekly report, while Pennsylvania continued to report the country’s largest outbreak.
Wisconsin had recorded 207 measles cases this year as of Oct. 8, with no increase in the latest weekly count, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state is among several with more than 200 cases as the U.S. total climbed to 4,080, its highest level in decades.
The CDC count rose by 192 cases in the week ending Oct. 8. Nearly every state has reported at least one case this year; only five have not.
Pennsylvania remains the center of the country’s largest outbreak, with 1,105 cases after 142 new cases in the latest week. The state has reported five confirmed measles-related deaths, though the CDC has recognized two. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has urged the federal agency to recognize the additional deaths.
Other states with large case totals include South Carolina, with 670, and Utah, with 535. New York reported 19 new cases, bringing its total to 103, while Iowa added 17 for a total of 39. Kentucky separately reported 104 cases, up 10 from the previous week.
The national total is approaching levels last seen in 1991, when the U.S. recorded 9,643 cases amid difficulties expanding vaccination programs. Measles is highly contagious, and outbreaks can spread quickly among people who are not immune.
Pennsylvania health officials said awareness efforts and temporary vaccine clinics are drawing more residents to get vaccinated. The state distributed more than 56,000 vaccine doses in September, over twice its usual monthly volume. All but four of the state’s reported cases were among unvaccinated people.
The federal government has offered states additional funding to address measles, while Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also announced plans for a clinic and a strengthened system to track reported vaccine injuries. Kennedy said officials should listen to patients and families who report injuries.
For Wisconsin, the weekly report showed no new cases, but the state’s 207 cases place it among the states with the largest reported totals. The CDC data provide a snapshot through Oct. 8; they do not indicate whether new cases have emerged since then.