SC Ends Largest Measles Outbreak After 997 Cases

South Carolina health officials declared an end to the state's largest measles outbreak on Monday, after no new cases linked to the event were reported for 42 days, the standard period to confirm transmission has stopped.

The outbreak, which began in October 2025 and lasted through March 2026, sickened 997 people, primarily unvaccinated children in northwestern Spartanburg County. At least 21 patients required hospitalization for complications such as pneumonia and brain swelling. The final case was confirmed on March 15. Statewide, public health efforts cost an estimated 2.1 million dollars.

Dr. Edward Simmer, interim director of the South Carolina Department of Public Health, credited the containment to swift investigations, exposure identifications and community cooperation. "Timely investigations, identification of those exposed, and people's willingness to stay home" kept the outbreak from spreading beyond one area of Spartanburg County, he said.

Over 90 percent of cases occurred among unvaccinated individuals, with school-age children aged 5 to 17 accounting for the majority. The virus, one of the most contagious known, spread rapidly in a community with declining...