Hundreds Quarantined Following Major Measles Outbreak in US County, Officials Report

South Carolina Measles Outbreak Surges to 111 Cases, Hundreds in Quarantine

South Carolina is battling a severe measles outbreak that has forced hundreds of residents into quarantine as health officials struggle to contain the rapidly spreading virus.

The South Carolina Department of Health (DPH) confirmed Wednesday that 111 cases have now been recorded in Spartanburg County, marking a significant escalation since officials first reported the outbreak in the Upstate region on October 2.

Currently, 254 people are under quarantine and 16 are in isolation to prevent further transmission, according to health department officials. “This significant jump in cases is unfortunate,” a DPH spokesperson said during the media briefing.

The outbreak has heavily impacted local schools, with Inman Intermediate School identifying 43 students under quarantine following public exposure. Eight other intermediate and middle schools in the area have also implemented quarantine measures. Health officials noted that some students have had to quarantine twice due to repeated exposure, further disrupting their education.

Of the 111 confirmed cases, 105 were in unvaccinated individuals, highlighting the importance of immunization in preventing the highly contagious disease. The DPH spokesperson emphasized that “vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people’s education, to employment and other factors in people’s lives and our communities.”

The health department indicated that receiving the measles vaccine within 72 hours of exposure has been shown to prevent infection, underscoring the critical window for post-exposure prophylaxis.

Health officials have determined that while some cases are linked to travel exposure, others stem from unknown sources, suggesting that measles is now circulating widely within the community. This pattern of community transmission presents additional challenges for containment efforts.

The outbreak comes amid a troubling national trend of declining vaccination rates and increasing vaccine hesitancy. According to CDC data, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination rates among kindergartners have dropped below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity in several states, creating vulnerability to outbreaks.

Measles is particularly concerning to public health officials because it is one of the most contagious diseases known, capable of spreading when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area.

Typical measles symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes, followed by the characteristic rash that spreads from the face to the rest of the body. Complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis, and in rare cases, death.

The South Carolina outbreak represents one of the largest measles clusters in the United States in recent years. Before widespread vaccination began in 1963, measles infected approximately 3-4 million Americans annually, with 400-500 deaths and 48,000 hospitalizations each year.

Public health experts warn that maintaining high vaccination coverage is essential to prevent the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles. The current outbreak demonstrates how quickly the virus can spread in under-vaccinated populations and the substantial disruption it causes to community life, schools, and healthcare systems.

Local health departments are conducting contact tracing and offering vaccination clinics to help curb the outbreak’s spread, while schools implement additional precautions to protect vulnerable students and staff.