There are 26 new cases and two additional school exposures in the ongoing measles outbreak centered in Spartanburg County, the state Department of Public Health reported Jan. 6.
The bulk of the new cases — 19 — are associated with known household and previously reported school exposures, while four cases resulted from a church exposure. DPH reports the source for one case is unknown while two other cases are still being investigated.
The health agency said based on its investigations, public exposures have been identified at two new schools: Sugar Ridge Elementary in Boiling Springs and Boiling Springs Elementary. DHS began notifying potentially exposed students, faculty and staff on Dec. 31 and reports there are currently nine students in quarantine from these schools.
The agency has also identified the following churches where exposures occurred:
- Tabernacle of Salvation Church
- Slavic Pentecostal Church of Spartanburg
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg
- Ark of Salvation Church
There are currently 144 people in quarantine and seven in isolation. The latest end of quarantine for these is January 28.
DPH is also reporting that it is aware of four people who were hospitalized due to complications stemming from the disease and that additional cases required medical care but did not involve hospitalization.
The agency also continues to stress the critical importance of notifying health care providers of a possible measles exposure or infection prior to visiting a health care facility.
The vast majority of the 211 measles cases to date occurred in unvaccinated individuals (196) with an additional four cases affecting people with only one dose of the recommended two-dose MMR sequence.
DPH reports the following age breakdown measles cases:
- Under 5 — 45
- 5-17 — 143
- 18+ — 17
- Minors under 18 (age undisclosed) — 6
