Major measles outbreak leads to hundreds quarantined in US county, officials say

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South Carolina is facing a majormeasles outbreak, resulting in the quarantine of hundreds of residents.

The South Carolina Department of Health (DPH) reported in a media briefing on Wednesday that the current number of measles cases has reached 111 as part of the current Spartanburg County outbreak.

DPH first reported a measles outbreak in the Upstate region on Oct.2.

Child with measles rash

The health department confirmed that 254 people are currently in quarantine in the upstate region.(Getty Images)

“This significant jump in cases is unfortunate,” a DPH spokesperson commented on the outbreak.

Public exposure was identified at Inman Intermediate School, with 43 of their students in quarantine.

“This significant jump in cases is unfortunate.”

Eight other intermediate and middle schools in the area are also reportedly undergoing quarantine.The DPH said multiple students have had to quarantine twice due to repeat exposure.

Vaccination continuesto 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 spokesperson said.

Crowd at airport - measles outbreak - contagion

“This significant jump in cases is unfortunate,” a DPH spokesperson commented on the current outbreak.(iStock)

Out of the 111 confirmed cases, 105 were unvaccinated.Receiving a vaccination within 72 hours has been shown to prevent measles infection, the DPH spokesperson noted. 

Some cases are related totravel exposure, while others are from an unknown source, suggesting that measles is circulating in the community, the DPH noted.

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Connecticut has also reported its first measles case in four years, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

The department confirmed on Thursday that an unvaccinated child in Fairfield County, under the age of 10, was diagnosed with measles after recently traveling internationally.

Doctor preparing MMR vaccine

“Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing,” a DPH spokesperson said.(iStock)

The child began to show symptoms several days later, including a runny nose, cough, congestion, fever and a rash starting at the head and spreading to the rest of the body.

The Connecticut DPH noted that measles is “highly contagious” and can spread quickly through the air via coughing or sneezing.The CDC has estimated that nine out of 10 unvaccinated individuals who encounter an infected person will develop themeasles virus.

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“The single best way to protect your children and yourself from measles is to be vaccinated,” DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, M.D., wrote in a statement.“One dose of measles vaccine is about 93% effective, while two doses are about 97% effective.”

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