The total number of cases in the South Carolina outbreak now stands at 700 with the addition of 54 new cases and additional public exposures, the state Department of Public Health reported Jan. 23.
There are 485 people in quarantine and 10 in isolation. While most of the cases are centered in Spartanburg County, cases have also been identified in Anderson, Cherokee and Greenville counties.
New school exposures
DPH is also reporting new school exposures at the following locations:
- Colley Springs Elementary (Spartanburg County) — 22 students quarantined
- Cannons Elementary (Spartanburg County) — 8 quarantined students
- Abner Creek Middle (Spartanburg County) — students in quarantine to be determined
- Mayo Elementary (Spartanburg County) — students in quarantine to be determined
- Sugar Ridge Elementary (Spartanburg County) — students in quarantine to be determined
Students remain in quarantine from the following schools: Holly Springs-Motlow Elementary (59), Campobello Gramling School (46), Libertas Academy (28), Crestview Elementary (22), Boiling Springs Elementary (21), Starr Elementary (17), Fairforest Elementary (13), Berry Shoals Elementary (13), Rainbow Lake Middle (12), Global Academy (11), Boiling Springs High (11), Landrum High (6), Oakland Elementary (6), Mabry Middle (6) and Chapman High (fewer than 5).
New public exposures
DPH has also identified new public exposures at the following places and times:
- Anytime Fitness at 3621 Boiling Springs Road, Boiling Springs — Tuesday, Jan. 13, from 6:10 p.m. to 10:10 p.m
- United States Post Office at 504 Pennsylvania Avenue, Greer, — Tuesday, Jan. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
- Goodwill at 1333 W. Wade Hampton Boulevard, Greer — Tuesday, Jan. 13, from 10:20 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Aldi at 1560 W. Floyd Baker Boulevard, Gaffney — Saturday, Jan. 17, from 4 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
People who were exposed at Anytime Fitness, the United States Post Office, or Goodwill — especially those without immunity through vaccination or previous disease — should monitor for symptoms through Feb. 3. Those exposed at Aldi should monitor for symptoms through Feb. 7.
Measles symptoms to watch for typically begin 7-12 days (but up to 21 days) after exposure, and include cough, runny nose, and red watery eyes, and fever followed by a rash two to three days later that starts on the face then spreads to the rest of the body.
DPH has launched a new Measles Dashboard with additional data and details about the outbreak.
According to state epidemiologist Linda Bell in a Jan. 21 media briefing, the overwhelming majority of cases so far have occurred in Spartanburg County and in unvaccinated individuals. Bell stressed that vaccination continues to be the best way to combat the outbreak and slow the spread of the disease.
