Pa. Coroner Confirms Two Measles Related Deaths

NEW YORK (AP) — A Pennsylvania coroner confirms that the two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania last month involved infants, and the virus itself caused one of the deaths. Lancaster County’s coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, said Wednesday that he told the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of his conclusions. CDC officials, however, haven’t said whether they will count either death as measles-associated. The coroner says a boy died on Aug. 14 shortly after his birth of a ruptured spleen and tested positive for measles. A 6-week-old girl died Aug. 18 at her home. She was born with a genetic birth defect that left her highly vulnerable to an infection, and a measles infection killed her.