Measles in the Carolinas: What You Need to Know

A measles outbreak in South Carolina has been spreading. It has now reached North Carolina. The outbreak started in Spartanburg County. It has now spread to other places. These include Greenville and Spartanburg. People who visited certain places during the holiday season may have been exposed. These places include a restaurant, a big box store, and a library. The infected person did not know they had measles at the time. They visited these places in December. The South Carolina Department of Public Health released a list of places and times. These are the places where the infected person visited. The list includes: - Nose Dive restaurant in Greenville on December 24 from 1:30-4:30 pm - Best Buy in Greenville on December 24 from 3-6 pm - Spartanburg County Public Libraries Headquarters on December 27 from 3:15-6:30 pm If you were at these places during these times, you should watch for symptoms. Contact a healthcare provider if you develop any symptoms. Symptoms can start to show now.This outbreak has been going on for more than three months. It has infected at least 185 people. The list of places where people may have been exposed is growing. It includes a church, a gym, a restaurant, other businesses, the airport, government offices, and public schools. Measles symptoms usually appear within one to two weeks of exposure. They can include a high fever, runny nose, watery eyes, white spots inside the mouth, and a rash. The rash starts on the face and moves downward. Children under 5 and pregnant women are at higher risk for serious complications. These can include pneumonia, brain swelling, hospitalization, or even death. Pregnant women can also be at risk of having a preterm birth or a low-birthweight baby. The best way to prevent measles is to get vaccinated. Two doses of the MMR vaccine can provide 97% or greater lifetime protection against the measles virus. South Carolina's outbreak is the second largest in the country right now. It is only smaller than the outbreak in Arizona. In Arizona, 205 people have been infected and eight have been hospitalized. In South Carolina, three people have been hospitalized.