Measles Case Confirmed in the Upstate

The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) has confirmed a case of measles in an Upstate resident who was recently aboard an international flight.

A press release link shared on social media , says on September 12, 2024, DPH was contacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of South Carolina residents who were on an international flight with a person who had measles.

The Upstate resident, who was among those exposed on the flight, was tested Monday, September 16, 2024, by DPH's health laboratory. On Thursday, September 19, 2024, tests results confirmed the measles virus.

The Department of Public Health "has conducted a contact investigation and is in the process of notifying people who may have been exposed in a health care setting. No other possible exposures in the community have been identified."

According to Dr. Bell, DPH state epidemiologist, “Measles is a highly contagious and serious disease caused by a virus that affects the respiratory tract,”

Although measles is now uncommon in the United States, cases are increasing in other parts of the world and importations have resulted in large U.S. outbreaks in recent years.

The press release did not provide which city the Upstate resident lives.

According to the CDC, "As of September 12, 2024, [not including the latest South Carolina case] a total of 251 measles cases were reported by 31 jurisdictions: Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.