South Carolina Measles Cases Surpass Last Year’s Texas Outbreak

On Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (SCDPH) reported the state has experienced 789 cases of measles since its outbreak began on Oct. 2, 2025.

CNN reported the South Carolina outbreak is now the largest in the United States since the disease was declared eliminated in this country more than two decades ago. South Carolina has reported more than 600 measles cases this year alone. SCDPH reported that at least 18 adults and children have been hospitalized for complications of measles. Additional cases have required medical care for measles but were not hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Last year’s largest outbreak in Texas reached 762 cases, and resulted in the death of two children, before it ended in August.

The South Carolina outbreak is centered around Spartanburg County, with most cases attributed to close contacts of known cases, SCDPH reported. The vast majority of cases are in unvaccinated patients and minors under the age of 18. Currently 557 people are in quarantine and 20 in isolation, including numerous students. The latest end of quarantine for these is Feb. 19.

However, the number of public exposure sites indicates that measles is circulating in the community, increasing the risk of exposure and the risk of infection for those who are not immune due to vaccination or natural infection.  A person is contagious four days before and after a rash begins, meaning someone can spread measles before they know they are infected. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves.

In another large, ongoing outbreak along the Arizona-Utah border, state health departments report that as of Jan. 27, 237cases have been confirmed in Utah while 244 cases have been confirmed in Arizona.

As of Jan. 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 416 measles cases in the U.S. this year. (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 14 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. A total of three measles cases were reported among international visitors.

No new outbreaks have been reported in 2026, and 94% of confirmed cases (393 of 416) are outbreak-associated (none from outbreaks in 2026 and 393 from outbreaks that started in 2025).