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South Carolina Measles Outbreak Surpasses West Texas Epidemic, Threatens US elimination Status
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The South Carolina Department of Health (DPH) announced today that the state’s measles outbreak has reached 789 cases, exceeding the size of last year’s significant outbreak in West Texas – which tragically resulted in the deaths of two school-aged children – by nearly 30 cases. This surge, with 89 new cases reported in the last four days, marks the largest measles outbreak the United States has experienced in almost three decades.
The escalating crisis raises serious concerns about the nation’s ability to maintain its measles elimination status, a designation achieved in 2000. The US is scheduled to meet with the Pan American Health Organization in April to assess its standing, with sustained local transmission of the virus for 12 months or more jeopardizing that status.
Epicenter in Spartanburg county Linked to low Vaccination Rates
The current outbreak is concentrated in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, where the virus initially spread through a series of elementary and middle schools beginning in october of last year. A significant factor contributing to the rapid spread is the largely unvaccinated status of students attending many of these institutions, described as primarily private, Christian academies. Holiday gatherings and subsequent travel further accelerated the outbreak’s progression.
“The majority of cases are close contacts of known cases,” a senior official stated. “However, the number of public exposure sites indicates that measles is circulating in the community, increasing the risk of exposure and infection for those who are not immune due to vaccination or natural infection.”
Quarantine and Hospitalization Numbers Rise
As of today, 557 individuals are currently under quarantine, with an additional 20 in isolation.The DPH anticipates the latest quarantine period will conclude on February 19. The impact of the outbreak is also being felt in hospitals, with at least 18 people – including both adults and children – requiring hospitalization due to complications from the disease. Additional individuals have sought medical care for measles but were not admitted.
A breakdown of the 789 cases reveals a stark correlation between vaccination status and infection rates: 695 cases are among unvaccinated individuals,14 among those partially vaccinated,and 20 among those fully vaccinated. The vaccination status remains unknown for 60 cases. The majority of those affected are young, with 493 cases occurring in individuals aged 5 to 17 years.A smaller proportion, 203 cases, are in children under the age of 5, while 65 cases have been identified in adults over the age of 18.
National Context and CDC Response
Last year, the United States recorded a total of 2,255 measles cases, including 760 in the West Texas outbreak, which originated within an under-vaccinated Mennonite community.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) response has drawn criticism. Last week, Ralph Abraham MD, the CDC’s principal deputy director, suggested that the potential loss of measles elimination status was simply “the cost of doing business,” and incorrectly attributed the increase in US cases to imported infections. He further stated, “We have these communities that choose to be unvaccinated. That’s their personal freedom.” This statement has been widely interpreted as downplaying the public health threat posed by declining vaccination rates.
the situation in South Carolina underscores the critical importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of this highly contagious disease and protecting
