The Pennsylvania Department of Health released a health alert on Monday as cases of measles during pregnancy—and consequently cases of congenital measles—have continued to climb. The advisory notes that before the current outbreak, which is still sweeping across the state, congenital measles had not been observed for many years.
The notice provides detailed clinical guidance for handling measles exposure and infection in pregnant women as well as in newborns. Many physicians have never encountered such cases in their careers because the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine has kept the disease at bay for decades. However, with vaccination rates slipping nationwide, the highly contagious virus is finding opportunities to spread in under‑vaccinated communities, a trend now evident in Pennsylvania.
By October 19, the state had recorded 1,286 measles cases this year across 42 counties. Of those, 247 patients have been hospitalized and six deaths have been reported, although the most recent death is still under investigation by the state health department before it can be added to the official count.