PITTSBURGH
Measles
PA measles spread to Westmoreland, Butler; new cases up by nearly 100
Finch WalkerUSA TODAY NETWORK
Aug. 27, 2026, 9:29 a.m. ET
- Measles cases are growing near Pittsburgh, with cases confirmed in Butler and Westmoreland counties.
- Pennsylvania has seen 424 confirmed measles cases in 2026, with two resulting deaths in Lancaster County.
- No confirmed cases have occurred in Pittsburgh or Allegheny County residents, but residents may have been exposed.
Measles cases near Pittsburgh are growing
Just days after Pennsylvania counted its first deaths from the disease in 35 years, counties around Pittsburgh confirmed their first cases of measles. And in the week leading up to Aug. 26, the last time the state’s online measles dashboard was updated, the state saw nearly 100 new cases of the disease across the commonwealth
Here’s what to know
Measles cases confirmed in Butler, Westmoreland as disease spreads across Pennsylvania
Both Butler and Westmoreland counties had their first confirmed cases of measles in recent days
Westmoreland’s case appeared on the state’s measles dashboard on Aug. 25
In Butler County, Dr. Michael Fiorina, chief medical officer at Independence Health System, confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY that Butler has seen one measles case. The diagnoses was confirmed on Aug. 25 after the patient was seen at the Sarver FasterCare and at their primary care provider’s office
The state department of health has been notified, and contact tracing is in progress. The patient was quarantined at home as of Aug. 26 and following public health guidances
“We are working closely with public health officials and will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available,” Fiorina said. “At this time, there is no indication of any broader risk beyond those identified through the contact tracing process.”
Fiorina encouraged the public to stay up to date on recommended vaccines and follow guidance from public health officials
Is there measles in Pittsburgh?
There were no confirmed measles cases among residents of Pittsburgh or Allegheny County as of Aug. 27. But Allegheny County officials warned that residents may have been exposed to the disease on Aug. 12 and Aug. 18 when an out-of-county individual who was diagnosed with measles visited UPMC Children’s Hospital Emergency Department
The county health department said the individual was isolating and that officials were reaching out to anyone who had been exposed
How many measles cases are there in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has seen 424 confirmed cases of measles in 2026 as of Aug. 26, the last day the state’s online dashboard was updated. Of those, 94 (or roughly 22% of cases in 2026 so far) were reported in the last week
The majority of reported cases were in Lancaster County, which had 197 cases of measles. Chester County had the second most with 41 cases. There was ongoing community transmission occurring in Berks, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Indiana, Jefferson, Lancaster, Mifflin, Snyder and York counties
Nationwide, there had been 2,777 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of Aug. 21, according to the Centers for Disease Control
How many people have died of measles this year? Are many people hospitalized?
Two Lancaster County residents died of measles, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said on Aug 25
The two deaths mark the first time anyone in the United States has died of measles in 2026, and the first time the disease has caused anyone to die in Pennsylvania in 35 years
About 17% of the people with measles in Pennsylvania have been hospitalized, with 73 of 424 patients requiring hospitalization, according to the state dashboard. None of Pennsylvania’s measles cases have occurred in people who were fully vaccinated against the disease, according to the state
Across the U.S., about 7% of people diagnosed with measles have been hospitalized in 2026, according to the CDC. Most cases — 94% — have occurred in unvaccinated people or people whose vaccination status wasn’t known, while another 3% happened in people who had received one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Another 3% occurred in people who were fully vaccinated
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker
