South Carolina Leads the US in Measles Cases for the Week

On Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (SCDPH) reported 124 new cases of measles in the state since Friday. That brings the total number of cases in South Carolina related to an outbreak in the northwest part of the state (including Greenville and Spartanburg) to 434. Currently, 409 people are in quarantine and 17 in isolation. The latest end of quarantine for these is Feb. 6, health officials reported.

Most of South Carolina’s cases (398 cases) are minors under the age of 18, and unvaccinated residents (378 cases).

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday also reported a new case of measles in Rutherford County. This brings the total number of North Carolina measles cases to five since late December. North Carolina’s initial cases were tied to a family that had visited Spartanburg County, South Carolina, where the large measles outbreak is ongoing, approximately one to two weeks before the children became sick.

The large outbreak along the Arizona-Utah border also continues. State health departments report that as of Jan. 13, 201 cases have been confirmed in Utah while 223 cases have been confirmed in Arizona.

On Tuesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health also confirmed its first measles case of 2026 in a baby too young to receive routine measles vaccination. The baby acquired the virus while traveling internationally. Additionally, the Virginia Department of Health reported the state’s second measles case of 2026. The patient is a child less than 4 years-old who also recently traveled internationally. 

As of Jan 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 171 measles cases in the U.S. (The CDC is aware of probable measles cases still being reported by jurisdictions and this number is likely to grow higher.) Cases were reported by nine states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. No new outbreaks have been reported in 2026, and 96% of confirmed cases (165 of 171) are outbreak-associated (The 165 cases are from outbreaks that started in 2025.).