Measles Cases Surge by 30% in South Carolina
Health officials in South Carolina have reported a dramatic and concerning escalation in the state's measles outbreak. The number of confirmed cases has jumped by almost 30% in just a few days, with an additional 124 infections reported since Tuesday, 13 January 2026.
This sharp increase brings the state's total number of measles cases to 558. The outbreak is primarily centred around Spartanburg County, but the highly contagious nature of the virus poses a significant risk of wider spread.
National Context and Historical Severity
Since the holiday period, the situation in South Carolina has rapidly evolved into the worst measles outbreak currently in the United States. However, it is not an isolated incident. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also recorded measles cases this year in several other states including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia.
This new wave follows a dire national trend. The year 2025 was the worst for measles spread in the US since 1991, according to CDC data. Nationally, authorities confirmed 2,144 cases across 44 states, resulting in three fatalities. All of those who died were unvaccinated.
The Threat of a Preventable Disease
Measles is caused by an extremely contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. It is, however, entirely preventable through safe and effective vaccination.
The United States had declared measles eliminated within its borders in the year 2000, a major public health achievement. The current outbreaks, driven largely by gaps in vaccination coverage, now place that hard-won status at serious risk of being revoked.
Public health experts uniformly stress that vaccination remains the most crucial defence against further outbreaks, protecting individuals and safeguarding community-wide immunity.
