U.S. sees first measles death since 2003

By Robert King, Robert King

Published December 20, 2015

A Washington state woman became the first U.S. fatality due to measles in more than a decade, and a recent measles outbreak was likely to blame, health officials said.

The woman's cause of death was pneumonia due to measles, and the measles infection was discovered at her autopsy, a public health agency said.

She was most likely exposed to measles at a local medical facility during an outbreak in Clallam County in Washington, according to a statement Thursday from the Washington State Department of Health. She was also on medication and had several other health conditions "to a suppressed immune system," according to a statement.

Washington has had 11 cases of measles, and the last active case was reported in late April.