Oct 20 (Reuters) – A third person died due to measles in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on its website on Tuesday, as the country battles the largest measles outbreak in decades.
There were 4,410 confirmed cases of measles across the country as of October 15, according to the agency.
It had reported two deaths related to the once-eliminated disease in September.
The agency has not disclosed the states in which the three deaths occurred.
The US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, told Reuters that the National Center for Health Statistics received another report of a measles-related death and verified that the disease was the underlying cause.
Under US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the CDC has drawn scrutiny for switching to NCHS mortality data to track measles deaths, replacing its earlier reliance on state health departments’ figures.
The CDC has said its death count could change as reviews are completed. The federal death toll remains lower than numbers reported by state officials.
In Pennsylvania, the state hardest hit by the resurgence, local health authorities have reported at least five deaths linked to the disease this year. State officials are also reviewing an additional death reported by the Franklin County coroner.
Pennsylvania has reported 1,286 cases as of October 19.
Last week, the CDC said it would deploy additional support to Pennsylvania to help investigate the ongoing measles outbreak after the state formally asked for federal aid through the agency’s Epi-Aid emergency response program.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease but can be prevented through the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which is about 97% effective after two doses.
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Leroy Leo)
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