Wisconsin infant dies of measles, first such death in the state since 1990

Wisconsin health officials said an infant has died from measles, the first death of its kind reported in the state since 1990.

The death is tied to an outbreak in southwestern Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services said in a Nov. 5 release. The coroner listed the immediate cause of death as measles. DHS said it will not release further information about the death, citing the family’s privacy.

“It is with a heavy heart we are reporting the first death of an infant connected with a measles outbreak in Wisconsin in many years. My heart is broken for the family,” DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson said in the release. “Any death of a child is a tragedy and even more so when it is related to a vaccine-preventable disease.”

431 cases in 13 counties

As of Nov. 3, the state had recorded 431 measles cases in 13 counties so far in 2026, the highest count in Wisconsin in more than 35 years. Nine people have been hospitalized for severe symptoms.

DHS said the case counts may not reflect the full extent of the outbreak, because not everyone who becomes ill seeks care or gets tested.

Vaccination response

Since Aug. 1, DHS has delivered 2,000 doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to local health departments in communities with confirmed cases. Health care providers in the state have given more than 42,000 doses of MMR during that period.

Two doses of MMR are about 97% effective at preventing measles, the agency said.

DHS listed pneumonia and swelling of the brain among measles complications. Children younger than 5, pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk.

Third U.S. death reported this week

The Wisconsin infant death is the third measles-related death reported by a state health department in the United States this week, CIDRAP reported. That account also noted a New York infant death and a Pennsylvania death. We covered the New York child’s death and the national rise in cases earlier.

What DHS advises

DHS urged residents to check vaccination records, including through the Wisconsin Immunization Registry, or by contacting a health care provider or local health department. People who may have been exposed should stay home. Anyone with a fever and rash, especially after a known exposure or without vaccination, should call ahead before going to a clinic or hospital so staff can limit exposing others, the agency said.

DHS said it continues to work with local and Tribal health departments and health care partners on case finding, testing, vaccination and information sharing across the outbreak counties.