Wisconsin has recorded a second pediatric measles-associated death, state health officials announced on Nov. 13. The Department of Health Services and the Grant County Health Department said no additional information about the child would be released, to protect the family's privacy.
The death is the second connected to the ongoing Wisconsin outbreak in 2026. The first was an infant linked to the outbreak in southwestern Wisconsin, and officials said it was the first death of its kind reported in the state since 1990.
As of Nov. 13, DHS had reported 649 measles cases in 20 counties since August 2026, the highest number seen in Wisconsin in more than 35 years. The statewide count had stood at 431 on Nov. 5. Officials cautioned that reported cases may not reflect the full spread, because not everyone who becomes ill seeks care or gets tested.
Officials are also tracing a possible measles exposure from Nov. 5 at the Marshfield Medical Center-Weston emergency department.
DHS said it continues to work with local and tribal health departments and health care partners on case identification and tracking, information sharing, testing and vaccination.
State Health Officer Paula Tran said preventing spread takes action from everyone. DHS urged residents to protect themselves and their communities, noting two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles, and people who have been exposed should stay home.
