Measles continues raging in South Carolina; 99 new cases since Tuesday
Ars Technica••health
Key Points:
- South Carolina is experiencing a rapidly expanding measles outbreak that began in October, with 99 new cases reported in the last three days, bringing the total to 310 cases.
- The outbreak is concentrated in Spartanburg County, where the student vaccination rate is 90%, below the 95% target needed to prevent spread, and many exposure sites are making contact tracing difficult.
- Measles is highly contagious, spreading through the air and infecting up to 90% of unvaccinated individuals exposed; symptoms develop within 7-21 days, and complications can be severe or fatal.
- Nearly all cases (99%) in the outbreak involve individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or have unknown vaccination status,
