There is a measles outbreak in South Carolina, and there are more cases of the virus, which can be deadly, than ever before in the US.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health warned on Thursday that a confirmed outbreak had spread to the northern half of the state. This makes eight known cases in all.
In the last month, five persons contracted the infection. The DPH says that an outbreak is when three or more cases are linked to each other.
The department also noted that everyone who became sick in this outbreak had not been vaccinated and did not have immunity.
Dr. Linda Bell, the state’s epidemiologist and chief of the Health Programs Branch, said they still don’t know how two people got measles.
She also warned that the department expects to uncover more cases and told individuals to stay away from others if they have any symptoms of the disease.
A fever, cough, red eyes, and a runny nose are all signs of measles. After that, a horrible rash starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. For the most part, the rash lasts five or six days.
Measles can remain in the air for up to two hours after someone who has it departs.
There is a measles outbreak in the northern region of South Carolina. The Department of Health has confirmed that there are eight cases in the area.
In the last two years, Texas has had more than 800 cases of measles. There were also a lot of cases in New Mexico and Arizona.
Measles is a virus that spreads easily and makes you cough, have a fever, red eyes, and a runny nose. After that, a rash shows up on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. The rash normally goes away in five or six days.
Because measles spreads so easily, DPH urgently encouraged everyone who had symptoms to keep away from other individuals.
People who have mild early symptoms can still spread the virus, and people who are infected can be contagious for four days before they even have a rash.
Health officials underlined how crucial it is to get vaccinated to halt the spread of measles, stating that it is 97 percent efficient at averting infection.
The DPH states that kids should get two shots of the vaccine: one between the ages of 1 and 15 months and the other between the ages of 4 and 6 years.
Dr. Bell said, “The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is still the best way to stop the spread of measles.”
“We strongly urge everyone to look at their immunization records and make sure they are up to date on all recommended vaccinations, such as MMR.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 1,544 cases across the country this year, the most in the last 33 years.
Experts say that the vaccine is the best way to stop measles outbreaks. The immunization rate is less than 90% in a lot of states.
There were 2,126 people with the virus in 1992, which was the last time there were more than 1,000 reported cases of measles.
In the last 40 years, 1990 had the most reported cases of measles, with 27,808 people getting infected.
The World Health Organization claims that a year later, efforts to get rid of measles extended across the US, and kids between the ages of 9 and 15 began taking the vaccine.
Since 1997, there have been less than 200 cases of measles, and in some years, there were even fewer than 50.
The CDC says that instances have been rising quickly in the last few years, and three people have already died from the infection this year.
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Department of Health stated that there are 10 more confirmed cases in the state, bringing the total number of sick persons to 18.
There was a significant outbreak in West Texas earlier this year, with 762 confirmed cases, 99 of which needed hospitalization, and two school-aged children died.
The American Academy of Pediatrics put out a statement supporting vaccinations and putting an end to misinformation about possible treatments for the disease.
During the outbreak, people were angry with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for saying that vitamin A and the drugs budesonide and clarithromycin could help people get better from measles.
The American Academy of Pediatrics put an end to the idea by making a fact page that declared, “There is no scientific evidence that inhaled steroids like budesonide or oral antibiotics like clarithromycin help treat measles.”
“‘Promoting medications to treat measles, especially when those medications aren’t recommended, makes it seem like the disease is treatable, which it isn’t.”