# Wisconsin infant dies of measles, first in state since 1990

> An outbreak across 13 counties has killed three people nationally this week alone, as measles returns to a country that declared it eliminated in 2000.
- Title: Wisconsin infant dies of measles, first in state since 1990
- Summary: An outbreak across 13 counties has killed three people nationally this week alone, as measles returns to a country that declared it eliminated in 2000.
- Keywords: measles, wisconsin, vaccination, outbreak, public health, robert f. kennedy jr., cdc, pennsylvania, new york, Ars Technica
- Source: Ars Technica — https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/11/wisconsin-reports-measles-death-of-a-baby-first-death-in-over-35-years
- Published: 2026-11-06T17:06:32+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: measles, wisconsin, vaccination, outbreak, public health, robert f. kennedy jr., cdc, pennsylvania, new york, technology, science
## Wisconsin's first measles death in 36 years
An infant in Wisconsin has died of measles, the first death in the state since 1990. The death comes amid an outbreak across 13 counties that has sickened over 430 people this year.
## Three measles deaths in one week nationally
The Wisconsin baby's death is the third measles fatality nationally this week. A New York child died on Monday and a Pennsylvania resident died on Wednesday.
## Nine deaths reported across the US this year
There have been nine reported measles deaths in the US this year, eight confirmed by state officials.
## Over five thousand cases across 47 states
As of November five, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting five thousand one hundred eighty-two measles cases in the US this year across forty-seven states and jurisdictions.
## Measles was declared eliminated in 2000
In two thousand, the US declared measles eliminated after a year without continuous domestic transmission, thanks to high vaccination rates.
## Kennedy politicizes measles death counts
Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., measles deaths have become political. Kennedy falsely suggested Pennsylvania officials fabricated deaths and reportedly ordered the CDC to delete them from national data.

> fabricated
## CDC changes how it counts measles deaths
The CDC abandoned its long-standing practice of reporting state-confirmed deaths. It now relies on federal death records, which take much longer to process and are not intended to provide real-time data during active outbreaks.
## WHO committee to review US measles status
Next week, November ten to thirteen, a committee of infectious disease experts assembled by the Pan American Health Organization will review data from two thousand twenty-five and early two thousand twenty-six to assess if measles…
## Key takeaway

Wisconsin reported its first measles death since 1990 as the virus surges nationally, with nine deaths this year and over five thousand cases across 47 states.