Measles Outbreak in South Carolina Escalates

The measles outbreak in South Carolina has surged to 646 cases, with newly reported exposures at Clemson and Anderson universities. Since October, the outbreak is concentrated in the northwest state including Greenville and Spartanburg, affecting mostly children. Financial assistance and federal health investigations continue.

On Tuesday, South Carolina's health department confirmed 646 measles cases linked to the ongoing outbreak in the state. This represents an increase of 88 cases since last Friday, with public exposures at Clemson and Anderson universities raising concerns over a wider spread.

The outbreak, having started in October, is primarily focused in the northwest region encompassing Greenville and Spartanburg. Currently, more than 538 individuals are quarantined following exposure, while 33 symptomatic cases are in isolation to prevent further transmission.

In response, the Department of Health and Human Services is allocating $1.4 million to South Carolina as requested by the state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is actively investigating transmission patterns in collaboration with state health officials, conducting regular coordination meetings to monitor and manage the situation.

The state health department reported that 34 students from Clemson University and 50 from Anderson University are in quarantine. Of the infected, 563 were unvaccinated, 12 received one dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, 13 were fully vaccinated, and the vaccination status of 58 remains unknown.

According to William Moss, an epidemiology professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the rapid increase indicates the outbreak continues to escalate. He noted the challenges of using quarantine and isolation for this highly contagious disease, as individuals are infectious before showing symptoms. The majority of cases are among children aged five to 17, followed by those under five years old.

(With inputs from agencies.)