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LEWISTOWN -- Mifflin County's confirmed measles cases have nearly tripled, rising from six to 17 as Pennsylvania's statewide total climbed to 307 cases and 53 hospitalizations, according to the latest Department of Health data.
The increase means Mifflin County has added 11 confirmed cases since the previous state update. Less than two weeks ago, the county had six.
The statewide numbers also continue to rise. Pennsylvania previously reported 232 cases and 38 hospitalizations. The latest figures represent an increase of 75 cases and 15 hospitalizations.
Sixty of Pennsylvania's 307 cases were reported during the past seven days, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the state's total.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health updates its measles dashboard Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons. The dashboard provides county totals along with hospitalization, vaccination, and demographic data.
Dr. Stanley Martin, director of infectious diseases for Geisinger, told The Sentinel earlier this month that Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital was treating a handful of suspected measles patients. At the time, those patients were awaiting confirmation through Department of Health testing. Martin said they were unvaccinated.
The latest state figures don't establish whether any of Mifflin County's additional confirmed cases are among the patients Martin discussed.
Martin called measles "one of, if not the most contagious viruses that we know of."
Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Someone can become infected by entering a room where a person with measles had been as long as two hours earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Health's public measles page did not list a Mifflin County-specific public exposure notice among its 2026 releases.
When a new case is reported, state health officials conduct contact tracing to identify people who may have been exposed and locations where exposure may have occurred. The department can issue a public notice when officials can't reach everyone who may have been exposed.
Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen has continued to urge vaccination as the primary defense against the disease.
"The single most effective way to avoid contracting or spreading measles is to get fully vaccinated," Bogen said in a June Department of Health release.
Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles, according to the CDC.
Symptoms begin seven to 14 days after infection and can include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. A rash typically develops several days after the first symptoms.
Measles can cause pneumonia and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Severe cases can require hospitalization and can be fatal. The CDC says children younger than 5, adults older than 20, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems face a greater risk of serious complications.
Martin previously advised anyone who believes they may have measles to call before visiting a medical office or emergency department so health care workers can take precautions to protect other patients.
With Mifflin County now at 17 confirmed cases and Pennsylvania at 307, the numbers have moved considerably since Martin first discussed the local cases.
His message then was simple.
"This problem that we're having is one which really is entirely preventable," Martin said.