Measles Outbreak in South Carolina: Expert Warns of Contagious Disease

Strategic Insights -

As the third confirmed case of measles is reported in South Carolina since July 2025, health officials are warning of the contagious and potentially life-threatening disease. The person affected is unvaccinated, had a recent international trip to a country with an ongoing measles outbreak, and is currently isolating at home to prevent further spread. According to Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist and Health Programs Branch director, measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads quickly and can lead to serious complications, hospitalization, and even death.

Key Takeaways:

  • The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) has confirmed three cases of measles in the state since July 2025, with the latest case involving an unvaccinated individual who had a recent international trip.
  • Measles is a highly contagious disease that can spread through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes, and can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after the person is gone.
  • The virus can cause serious complications, including hospitalization and death, and symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash that lasts for five or six days.
  • People with measles should stay home from work or school for four days after their rash first appears, and those without immunity who are exposed to measles should quarantine as instructed.
  • The measles vaccine is over 97% effective, and children should receive two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine: the first at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second at 4 to 6 years of age.
  • Certain groups, including pregnant women and immunocompromised people, should not receive the MMR vaccine or should delay receiving it, and DPH recommends speaking with a health care provider to evaluate the risks and benefits of vaccination.
  • Cases of measles in South Carolina in 2025 include two confirmed cases in July, one of which was a close contact of the first case, and a single confirmed case in September, bringing the total to three cases in 2025 to date.

Statistics:

  • Three confirmed cases of measles in South Carolina since July 2025.
  • 97% effectiveness of the measles vaccine.
  • Two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine: one at 12 to 15 months, and one at 4 to 6 years of age.
  • Four to six days after the rash first appears, a person with measles is contagious through four days after its onset.
  • Up to two hours after an infected person is gone from an area, the measles virus can remain infectious in the air.

Sources:

  • South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) news release, 2025.