October 3, 2025 – Greenville, S.C. — South Carolina health authorities have confirmed an active measles outbreak in the Upstate region, raising concerns among parents, schools, and medical providers. The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that eight cases have been confirmed as of the beginning of October, five of which are tied to a new local cluster identified over the past month. Officials say the disease is spreading mainly among unvaccinated individuals, with at least two cases having no travel history or known source of exposure — a sign that community transmission may already be underway.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell described the situation as “concerning but controllable,” adding that swift vaccination and strict isolation measures can still prevent the outbreak from escalating further. “Measles is one of the most contagious viruses we know,” she warned. “Even a few cases can lead to a rapid surge in numbers if we do not act quickly.”
Details of the Outbreak
The Upstate region — which includes counties such as Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee — has so far reported eight total cases in 2025, with the majority surfacing in September. Five of these cases are part of the newly identified outbreak cluster. Health officials say that all confirmed patients were unvaccinated and therefore lacked immunity to the disease.
What has raised particular concern is that two of the eight patients had no history of international or domestic travel to areas with active outbreaks, nor any identified contact with known cases. This suggests the virus is circulating locally in the community, making it harder to track and contain.
Investigators from the DPH are working to identify where these individuals might have contracted the virus and are notifying people who may have been exposed. Contact tracing teams have been deployed across affected counties, focusing especially on schools, childcare centers, clinics, and religious congregations where people gather in close proximity.
Symptoms and Risks
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that spreads through respiratory droplets expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or even talks. The virus can linger in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a space.
Symptoms usually appear 10 to 14 days after exposure and typically begin with fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and red, watery eyes. A tell-tale red rash develops several days later, starting on the face and moving downward to the rest of the body. Infected individuals can transmit the virus for up to four days before the rash appears and for about four days afterward.
While measles is often thought of as a childhood illness, it can affect people of any age who lack immunity. Complications can be serious and sometimes life-threatening, including pneumonia, brain inflammation, and in rare cases, death. Infants, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness.
Public Health Response
The DPH has issued a statewide advisory urging residents to review their immunization records and ensure they are up to date on the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Children typically receive two doses: the first at 12 to 15 months of age and the second between ages four and six. Two doses are estimated to be about 97 percent effective at preventing measles.
Local health departments in the Upstate are offering additional vaccination clinics and are prioritizing high-risk areas such as schools with lower vaccination coverage. Parents of children who have not received the full two-dose MMR series are being strongly encouraged to get their children immunized as soon as possible.
In addition to vaccination, officials stress the importance of isolation. Anyone who develops measles-like symptoms is urged to call a healthcare provider before visiting a clinic or emergency room to avoid exposing others in waiting areas. Individuals diagnosed with measles are advised to remain isolated at home and avoid public places for at least four days after the rash appears.
National and Local Context
The current outbreak in the Upstate is distinct from earlier sporadic cases reported elsewhere in South Carolina earlier this year, which were linked to travel. This latest cluster appears to have arisen locally and is unrelated to those earlier cases.
South Carolina’s experience mirrors a national trend. The United States has seen a surge in measles cases throughout 2025, with more than 1,500 cases reported in over 40 states. Most have occurred in communities with lower vaccination rates, which create conditions ripe for outbreaks.
In the Upstate, health experts have noted pockets of low vaccination coverage, particularly in certain private schools, homeschooling groups, and rural communities. These areas, where fewer residents have received two doses of MMR vaccine, are especially vulnerable to rapid spread.
Warnings from Health Experts
Dr. Bell emphasized that the public must not underestimate the threat of measles. “Two cases with no identifiable exposure point to hidden chains of transmission,” she said. “We cannot assume we know everywhere the virus is. We expect to see more cases unless people respond quickly by vaccinating and staying home when they’re sick.”
Health officials caution that even small outbreaks can escalate rapidly because of the virus’s high basic reproduction number — meaning one infected person can spread it to a dozen or more others in a susceptible population. For the virus to stop spreading, vaccination rates in a community need to remain above 90 to 95 percent.
What Residents Should Do
Authorities recommend the following steps for all residents of the Upstate and nearby areas:
- Check Your Vaccination Status: Ensure you and your family have received two doses of the MMR vaccine.
- Monitor Symptoms: Watch for fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and rash, especially if you’ve been in contact with someone known to have measles.
- Call Before You Visit: If symptoms appear, phone your healthcare provider before arriving in person so precautions can be taken to prevent spreading the virus to others in waiting rooms.
- Stay Home if Sick: Infected individuals should avoid work, school, and public events until at least four days after the rash begins.
- Cooperate with Contact Tracers: If contacted by public health authorities, provide information about your recent activities and exposures to help limit further spread.
Community Impact
Schools, childcare centers, and other institutions are preparing for possible quarantines of unvaccinated students if additional cases emerge. Some parents in the Upstate have already reported keeping their children at home voluntarily to avoid exposure.
Local businesses, particularly those in the hospitality industry, are keeping a close eye on the outbreak but have not reported significant disruptions so far. Health officials stress that at this time there is no reason to avoid travel to or from the Upstate, but caution that those who are unvaccinated face higher risk.
The Road Ahead
Public health officials remain optimistic that the outbreak can be contained if residents respond quickly to vaccination appeals and isolation guidance. “We have the tools to stop this,” said Dr. Bell. “But it will take community effort — vaccination is the single most important step.”
For now, the situation remains limited to the Upstate region, but with evidence of community transmission and the virus’s high contagiousness, officials warn the number of cases may grow in the coming days. Continued cooperation from the public is crucial to keeping the outbreak from spreading to other parts of South Carolina.
Bottom Line: South Carolina’s Upstate region is facing a confirmed measles outbreak with eight reported cases so far. Most are unvaccinated, and at least two appear to have been infected locally with no clear source of exposure. Health officials are urging residents to check their vaccination status, stay home if ill, and cooperate with public health measures to prevent a wider crisis.
