Columbia at high risk of measles spread from recent exposure at SC State Museum, DPH experts say

The likelihood that measles will spread to other areas of the state, including Columbia where an infected person visited the State Museum recently, is high, Dr. Linda Bell of the Department of Public Health said Wednesday.

So far, the virus has been seen mainly in Spartanburg in what Bell called pockets of the community where people are not immunized. Some schools in those areas report immunization levels as low as 20%, she said.

A Spartanburg resident infected with measles was at the South Carolina State Museum on Jan. 2.

The South Carolina Department of Public Health warned people they could have been exposed if they were there between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m on that date.

Measles is highly contagious and spread through touch and the air.

It’s the first report of possible spread outside the Upstate since the measles outbreak started last fall.

The person who visited the museum did not know they were infectious.

Bell said eight people have been hospitalized, but she did not know what specific symptoms they experienced. Typically, the virus begins with watery eyes, cough and fever before a rash breaks out on the face and extends to the rest of the body. It can cause pneumonia and encephalitis.

In all, there have been 434 people diagnosed with measles, 124 of them since Friday, DPH said.

In Spartanburg County, 409 people are in quarantine and 17 in isolation.

Six people contracted the virus despite being fully vaccinated, which Bell said sometimes happens but usually results in lesser symptoms.

“The incubation period for measles is usually seven to 14 days but can be up to 21 days. Therefore, people exposed at this location who are not immune could begin developing early symptoms of measles now,” DPH said.

If you were at the State Museum on that afternoon, you should contact a health care provider if you develop symptoms or if you do not have immunity to measles.

“People who were exposed, especially those without immunity through vaccination or previous disease, should monitor for symptoms through Jan. 23,” DPH said.

Bell said the most important thing people can do to avoid contracting the virus is to get vaccinated.

Just over 91% of students in Richland County were vaccinated according to school reports from last fall.

In Lexington it was almost 95%.

Herd immunity, which protects people unable to be vaccinated such as pregnant women, is about 92% to 94%. Overall, the state has a 91.2% vaccination rate.

“It is disappointing to see 100s of cases that could have been prevented,” Bell said.