The number of measles cases in the United States is approaching 3,700, with a quarter in just one state.
The growing number of measles cases in the United States this year is approaching 3,700, according to federal data, as the epidemic continues to grow in Pennsylvania.
There are now 3,659 confirmed cases this year, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That total includes new cases in Pennsylvania, where 129 cases were reported over the past seven days, according to a Pennsylvania Department of Health dashboard, bringing the total to 890.
Possible measles exposures have been traced to Philadelphia International Airport and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The updates come as the Trump administration and Pennsylvania leaders argue over measles-associated deaths — the first in the U.S. this year.
Measles cases have exploded in the United States this year. But one state is currently seeing more than others (Getty Images)
While the CDC lists only one death on its website, Pennsylvania has reported four deaths associated with measles.
The CDC says it will update the data “as additional information becomes available and relevant reviews are completed.”
The deaths include a 40-year-old woman with active infection, an 18-year-old with a rare neurological complication due to infection, and two infants, including a newborn with a laceration of the spleen.
THE The Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services did not say whether the agency had received updated information that might change the current death count, but said the reported death had been verified by the National Center for Health Statistics.
“CDC is also working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) to develop a standardized case definition for measles deaths,” the department said. The Independent in an email Monday. “This work aims to promote consistent classification and reporting of measles deaths across jurisdictions.”
HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said the CDC will pull data on the number of measles deaths in early September: a pause in updating death information after notifications from state officials.
A historic outbreak of measles
Regardless of the deaths recorded by the CDC, the resurgence of measles this year has been historic.
This is the most active year for measles since the 1990s, notes the American Medical Association, before the contagious virus was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000.
There have been 40 outbreaks reported nationwide this year, with 95 percent of confirmed cases linked to outbreaks occurring in 2025 or 2026.
The majority of cases – including all deaths reported in Pennsylvania – have been reported in unvaccinated people.
Measles cases can be prevented after a person receives two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (Getty Images)
Two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine provide 97 percent protection against infection, but experts say vaccine hesitancy and misinformation have contributed to declining childhood vaccination rates.
Without it, infections spread easily after a person with measles coughs or sneezes.
The viral droplets they produce can linger in the air for up to two hours or contaminate surfaces.
Signs of infection include a fever of over 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), rash, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes.
People with the disease start feeling sick about a week or two after coming into contact with the virus.
Gn Health
