South Carolina measles cases rise by nine to 153, state health department says

By Siddhi Mahatole

Dec 23 (Reuters) – The South Carolina health department on Tuesday reported 153 measles cases related to the ongoing outbreak, nine additional cases since its last update on Friday.

The widening outbreak has been reported in the northwest part of the state, which includes Greenville and Spartanburg, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

Of those infected, 145 were unvaccinated, three were partially vaccinated with one of the recommended two-dose measles-mumps-rubella vaccines, one was fully vaccinated and four had unknown vaccination status.

There are 249 people in quarantine and seven in isolation, the South Carolina Department of Public Health said.

“Some have broken the quarantine recommendations, and so it remains a concern,” said Linda Bell, state epidemiologist in a news briefing on Tuesday.

“Any one case that goes out in public and is potentially spreading before they recognize that they could be infected with measles, remains a concern and is one of the reasons that we continue to have some of these public exposures,” Bell added.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that causes symptoms such as fever, cough and a characteristic rash. It can also lead to severe complications like pneumonia and encephalitis.

It is preventable when countries attain a 95% vaccination coverage rate. That is the level needed for a community to achieve herd immunity and protect those who are unable to receive the vaccine, which is 97% effective after two doses.

Five of the new cases were known household exposures, two resulted from a previously reported school exposure, the source of one is unknown and one is still being investigated, according to the state health department.

The U.S. is on the brink of losing its measles elimination status after a spate of large outbreaks this year, which began in West Texas and spread to several other states.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny and Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)