OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS ++++

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS AP: Pennsylvania Measles Deaths: Coroner Releases More Details On Infants https://apnews.com/article/measles-deaths-pennsylvania-infants-e8dc53eb687801720187a6cefb2ca392?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8f0I9itnqJctvCT2n7fJEE_iovZ7-2F6Gre4yHLE00xWVAyNcIfEll9W2TOH3eYGUBtLeftOOLR-pUUI3ywqTwGaCvMg&_hsmi=438330720&utm_content=438330720&utm_source=hs_email The two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania last month involved infants, and the virus itself caused one of the deaths, a Pennsylvania coroner confirmed Wednesday. Lancaster County’s coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, said he told the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of his conclusions. CDC officials, however, have not said whether they will count either death as measles-associated, and the agency’s website still carries a disclaimer about them. Ivan Miller died on Aug. 14 shortly after his birth of a ruptured spleen, Diamantoni said. (Stobbe, 9/9) CIDRAP: Pediatrics Group Publishes FAQ On Congenital Measles https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/pediatrics-group-publishes-faq-congenital-measles?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--VGJ7favPWKlBl-eD3HxV8beGO_O1tpbVom5aNKENMfRPogVqyTYgMeBvyyG7b4IFo6GX5AgznX-rd0aU0QQwzTyxoJQ&_hsmi=438330720&utm_content=438330720&utm_source=hs_email Late last month in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a mom with measles delivered a stillborn baby, who died of a ruptured spleen, what the coroner called a measles-associated death. The midwife attending the birth told the mom that the baby died because of the unvaccinated mom’s serious case of measles, per The Atlantic. Few pediatricians have treated a newborn with congenital measles—meaning a case in a newborn contracted from the mother—especially one with such a tragic outcome. (Holohan, 9/9) CIDRAP: People Who Say They’ll Get Vaccinated Against COVID And Flu Often Don’t. Why Not? https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/people-who-say-they-ll-get-vaccinated-against-covid-and-flu-often-don-t-why-not?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8ZT1O2oEIdkO7vdgoYuNVfPfZh-4_t_k9Iu_hJhovNll3kPGyNLHTHPJBe_1rqyv4-PCFKJtk_gZgnZnmsq5rZkxZp0Q&_hsmi=438330720&utm_content=438330720&utm_source=hs_email Low vaccination rates are often attributed to vaccine hesitancy, but people who express an unwillingness to get vaccinated aren’t the only ones who sometimes forgo immunizations. Even people who intend to get vaccinated don’t always follow through. Research published this week in Vaccine found that 39% of participants who said they were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine during the 2025-26 respiratory virus season remained unvaccinated by the end of the season. (Bergeson, 9/9) Medical Xpress: Mpox Outbreak In 2022 Caused By Less Severe Form Of The Virus, Study Reveals https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-mpox-outbreak-severe-virus-reveals.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9qilmWVh5h_nbjG8uvB2SqLL3f45cPNnJjJ8XnaQjTJdBT_BABvf8XVlc7VnRAPr3e6dD4Vn3n65NlopiQPUT8gJFRQQ&_hsmi=438330720&utm_content=438330720&utm_source=hs_email The strain of mpox behind the 2022 outbreak was a weakened form of the virus, which may have helped it spread faster, a new study from the University of Surrey reports. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, show that the virus acquired mutations before it spread globally. These mutations, which are absent from forms of the virus currently circulating in parts of Africa, cause less severe symptoms in patients, who may have unknowingly spread the virus across borders. (9/8)