Authorities in the state of Pennsylvania, in the eastern United States, confirmed Wednesday a fifth death related to measles, the most recent in an outbreak that has reached a level never seen in the country in 35 years.

The deceased person was not vaccinated against this serious and contagious disease and lived in Lancaster County, the local Department of Health indicated, without giving further details.

This county is especially known for housing a large Amish population, whose vaccination rates are lower than those of the rest of the population.

Measles had been eradicated from the United States in 2000 thanks to vaccination, but for several years it has experienced a strong resurgence in the country.

In recent times, vaccination rates have declined and distrust toward health authorities has been increasing, something for which Donald Trump's Health Secretary, Robert Kennedy Jr., is blamed.

Known for his skeptical positions regarding immunization, the official has repeatedly spread false information about the measles vaccine and has minimized the risk of the disease. He has also questioned the attribution of some recent deaths to the disease.

Pennsylvania health authorities have reported four deaths associated with measles since August: two of babies too young to be vaccinated, another of an 18-year-old person and the most recent of a 40-year-old woman, according to information from local forensic doctors.

Since the beginning of 2026, more than 3,650 confirmed cases of this disease have been recorded in the United States, of which more than 900 correspond to Pennsylvania, a level never seen since 1991.

Measles causes fever, respiratory symptoms and skin rashes, and in some cases more serious complications, such as pneumonia and inflammation of the brain, which can cause serious aftereffects and even death.

Before the development of the vaccine in the early 1960s, measles killed hundreds of children in the United States annually.