Second child dies from measles in Grant County as Wisconsin outbreak reaches 649 cases

A second child has died from measles in Grant County, Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Grant County Health Department confirmed on Friday. The child’s age and gender were not released.

The death is connected to the ongoing measles outbreak in the state. It comes one week after an infant died from measles in Grant County, which marked Wisconsin’s first measles death since 1990.

As of Friday, the Department of Health Services reported 649 measles cases confirmed in 20 counties since August. WPR reported 651 cases across 22 counties as of Friday and described it as the highest number of cases in the state in more than 35 years, according to DHS. Channel 3000, NBC 26, KSTP, and WISN reported 649 cases in 20 counties since August 2026.

Dr. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for communicable diseases at DHS, told PBS Wisconsin’s Here & Now that it is safe to assume the state has “well over 1,000 cases.” He said, “When we investigate cases in the community, we hear about families saying that there are other families that we don’t know about.” He added, “We know that with all of our conditions that are reportable to public health, they don’t all get reported. Some people don’t get tested, some people don’t come to medical attention.”

Westergaard said that in the decade before the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisconsin saw between zero and two cases of measles most years. He said the unchecked spread of the virus this year is not surprising given the state’s low childhood vaccination rates. “This is really something that we haven’t seen in our careers, and we fear we’re not quite through it,” he said. “It’s likely to continue to get worse.”

Wisconsin has the fourth-highest number of measles cases in the U.S. this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Measles spreads through the air. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms usually develop 10 to 12 days after exposure and can include runny nose, high fever sometimes greater than 104°F, tiredness, cough, red watery eyes, and a red rash that typically begins at the hairline and spreads to the arms and legs.

The best protection against measles is vaccination with the two-dose measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as MMR. The two-dose course of the MMR vaccine is 97 percent effective at preventing measles and provides lifelong protection. DHS announced last week that it recommends children as young as 6 months who are at increased risk of exposure to measles get the shot. Since Aug. 1, DHS has delivered nearly 2,000 doses of the MMR vaccine to local health departments in communities with confirmed cases.

DHS is working with local and Tribal health departments and providers to coordinate and support response efforts. State health officials advise people who develop symptoms to stay home and call a healthcare provider before going to a clinic.

Pennsylvania, which has the most measles cases for the year, reported the state’s seventh measles-related death on Friday. New York health officials reported Monday that a child had died of the virus, marking that state’s first measles death in more than 30 years.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.