Measles outbreak explodes in South Carolina; multiple people hospitalized as cases surpass 200

The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is sounding the alarm after 26 new measles cases were reported since Friday, bringing the total number of cases in the state's latest outbreak to 211.

DPH first reported a measles outbreak Oct. 2 in the Upstate region, and as of Tuesday, 144 people are in quarantine and seven people are in isolation.

Of the 211 cases, 45 cases involve children under 5 years old, 143 cases involve children ages 5 to 17, 17 cases involve adults, and six cases involve minors whose ages weren't disclosed.

DPH said 196 of the 211 infected individuals were unvaccinated, four were partially vaccinated, one was vaccinated, and 10 are either still being investigated or have an unknown vaccination status.

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Officials said 19 of the new cases were associated with "exposures in known households and previously reported school exposures", and four resulted from church exposures.

DPH identified public exposures at Sugar Ridge Elementary and Boiling Springs Elementary and began notifying potentially exposed students, faculty and staff on Dec. 31. 

There are currently nine students in quarantine from the two schools.

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Exposures also happened at the Tabernacle of Salvation Church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg, Slavic Pentecostal Church of Spartanburg and Ark of Salvation Church.

The source of one case is unknown, while two others are still being investigated.

Although complications from measles are not reportable, officials said four people, including adults and children, required hospitalization for complications of the disease.

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Additional cases required medical care, but the infected individuals were not hospitalized.

Those infected with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears, and may be unaware they can spread measles before they know they have the disease, according to DPH.

DPH said it is important for those with a mild illness, or those who are in quarantine, to stay home to protect others.

"We encourage employers to support workers in following DPH recommendations to stay out of work while ill or in quarantine, which also protects businesses, other workers and clients," officials wrote in a statement.

DPH said vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent measles and stop the outbreak.

Though the CDC recently released new vaccine recommendations under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., its guidelines still dictate all children should be immunized for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV) and chickenpox.