Measles Cases Surge in South Carolina as Outbreak Spreads

A rapidly expanding measles outbreak in South Carolina is prompting renewed concern among state health officials, who warn the spread is likely to continue for several more weeks. As of Wednesday, 111 cases have been confirmed in the state’s northwestern region—including Greenville and Spartanburg—according to Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist for the South Carolina Department of Public Health, as reported by NBC News. Of those infected, 105 had not received any vaccinations, and three others were only partially vaccinated, Bell told the Washington Post. She described the surge of 27 new cases since Friday as a “significant increase,” driven in part by holiday gatherings and persistently low vaccination rates.

The outbreak—despite measles having been declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000—has resulted in more than 250 people being quarantined, many of them connected to schools and a church in Spartanburg County. Some unvaccinated students are now entering their second 21-day quarantine period of the school year. Vaccination rates in the area remain below the level needed to prevent such outbreaks: Spartanburg County sits at 90% and Greenville at 90.5%, both short of the 95% recommended by public health experts. Most current cases involve unvaccinated children and teenagers.

Mobile clinics have been deployed to offer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccinations, but turnout has remained low, and no further clinics are planned at this time. Measles is extremely contagious and can remain in the air for hours after an infected person has left a space. Health officials emphasize that the MMR vaccine—given in two doses—is 97% effective at preventing infection. Nationally, the CDC has recorded 1,912 measles cases so far this year, with significant outbreaks also occurring in Arizona and Utah. CNN reports that more than 80 new cases were logged nationwide this week.

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