Measles cases jump again in South Carolina, rising to more than 550
[January 17, 2026]
By MIKE STOBBE
Reported measles cases in South Carolina surged by almost 30% in the
last few days, state health officials said Friday.
The South Carolina health department reported 124 new cases since
Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 558 in a wave of infections
centered around an outbreak in Spartanburg County.
Since the holidays, South Carolina's measles outbreak has exploded into
the worst in the U.S. Measles also have been reported this year in
Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and
Virginia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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 Last year was the nation’s worst for
the spread of measles since 1991, according to the CDC. The U.S.
confirmed 2,144 cases across 44 states. Three people died, all of
them unvaccinated.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that
is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes,
sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines and has been
considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000, though the country
is at risk of losing that achievement.
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