South Carolina Measles Outbreaks Prompts Quarantines
Hundreds of people were told to quarantine last week after a measles outbreak exploded in the state of South Carolina. Here is the latest on this outbreak, as well as what you need to know about the measles, its symptoms, and the possible outcomes.
South Carolina Measles Outbreak Prompts Hundreds of Quarantine Orders
At least 254 people in South Carolina were put under quarantine last week due to a large-scale measles outbreak in the upstate part of the region. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH), at least 111 people have been confirmed to have contracted the disease since early October. State epidemiologist Linda Bell said that 105 of those individuals were unvaccinated.
The other six confirmed cases include three people who had only received one of the two recommended measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations. One person who contracted the measles is fully vaccinated, while the immunization status of the other two is unknown. Of the 254 people who were placed in quarantine, 16 were put into total isolation. State officials blame the lack of vaccinations, in addition to recent travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, as the root causes of the outbreak.
Bell reiterated that vaccination is still the best way to prevent the measles. She confirmed that local public health officials were able to trace 16 of the infections to the Way of Truth Church in Spartanburg County in the northwestern corner of the state. Located in the city of Inman, the area is part of South Carolina's Upstate region. This area also encompasses Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens, and Union counties.
There have been over two dozen new cases of measles reported in the Palmetto State since December 5. This brings the total number this year in South Carolina to 114.
Although the disease was officially eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, measles cases have been surging in recent months as vaccination rates continue to fall. Two children, ages 6 and 8, died at the hands of measles earlier in the year in Texas after a massive outbreak in the rural part of the state. The Texas Department of State Health Services said that over 94% of the cases happened in unvaccinated individuals.
Bell is urging people to get vaccinated if they have been exposed. She pointed to data that indicates that receiving an MMR vaccination within 72 hours of measles exposure has been shown to prevent infection.
Understanding Measles and Its Symptoms
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily impacts young individuals. Health care experts estimate that the virus will spread to 9 out of 10 unvaccinated people in a room where someone is infected.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus infects the respiratory tract initially, eventually spreading to the rest of the body. The virus can then develop into a life-threatening disease.
The measles is preventable through a two-dose vaccine schedule. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five unvaccinated people who come down with the measles end up in the hospital for treatment.
The virus is spread through contact with either infected nasal or throat secretions or by breathing in the air particles of an infected person. The WHO says that the measles virus can remain contagious on contaminated hard surfaces or in the air for up to two hours.
Measles symptoms typically appear about seven to 14 days after contact with the infected particles. Early symptoms include cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and high fever. The CDC notes that the measles rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms. This reddish-brown rash is likely to impact the entire body. Raised bumps may also form on top of the flat red spots. Individuals infected with the virus are infectious for about four days before developing a rash and about four days after the onset of the rash.
Other less prevalent symptoms include sneezing, red eyes, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. Some infected individuals may notice tiny white spots inside the mouth roughly two to three days after the onset of symptoms. Fevers of up to 104 degrees are possible in the time after the rash appears.
Measles can lead to a number of life-threatening conditions, including brain inflammation and pneumonia. Those who are most at risk of developing serious complications include people older than 20 or younger than 5 years old, pregnant individuals, and those with weakened immune systems.
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