Two states with ongoing measles outbreaks confirmed more cases, and more school exposures, today. In South Carolina, 27 new cases raise the state total to 114, while in Utah 10 new cases bring the total to 115.
South Carolina health officials announced the 27 new measles cases today, all in Spartanburg County, the epicenter of the growing Upstate outbreak that has now seen 111 of the state’s 114 cases. The outbreak was linked to exposures at two elementary schools earlier this fall.
The 27 new cases involved exposures at schools, churches, and in households. South Carolina officials also said one of the new case-patients was exposed in the health care setting.
“Sixteen of the new cases resulted from the previously reported exposure at the Way of Truth Church in Inman, eight of the cases are household members of known cases, one resulted from a previously reported school exposure, one was from an exposure in a health care setting, and the source of exposure is unknown for one of the cases,” the South Carolina Department of Public Health said in a press release.
There are currently 254 people in quarantine and 16 in isolation. Forty-three of those in quarantine are students at Inman Intermediate School.
Seventy-five of the measles patients in South Carolina are between the ages of 5 and 17. And 105 case-patients are unvaccinated, while there have been three partially vaccinated, one fully vaccinated, and two with unknown immunization status.
New child care exposure in Utah
Utah has 10 new measles cases in the past week, raising the state total to 115. The most recent case occurred over the weekend and was linked to an exposure at the Kopper Kids child care facility, located within Bingham High School in South Jordan in Salt Lake County.
Authorities noted that the most recent patient attended the child care facility while infectious last week, and that the person was unvaccinated against the virus. It is not known if the case-patient was a child or an adult.
“Measles is extremely contagious, so quick action is critical,” said Dorothy Adams, MPA, executive director of the Salt Lake County Health Department, in a press release. “Because we don't know where this infection originated, it's important that everyone in the Bingham school community be aware of symptoms and the possibility they were exposed.”
So far this year there have been only three measles cases in Salt Lake County. Most cases in Utah (82) have been reported in the Southwest Utah health district, which borders Arizona.
