Epidemic hazard

A new measles case has been reported in Rutherford County, North Carolina, bringing the state's total to five since late December, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
Those exposed have been notified.
These cases are linked to the ongoing outbreak in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, where state officials confirmed 99 new cases in the past three days, raising the total to 310.
The outbreak has also spread to Ohio among families who traveled to the area.
Health officials attribute the spike to holiday travel, family gatherings, low vaccination rates, and growing public exposures. As of Friday, 200 people were in quarantine and nine in isolation.
"The number of those in quarantine does not reflect the number actually exposed," said Dr. Linda Bell, who leads the state health department's outbreak response. "An increasing number of public exposure sites are being identified with likely hundreds more people exposed who are not aware they should be in quarantine if they are not immune to measles."
Since October, the virus has spread undetected in the area, with hundreds of schoolchildren quarantined, some repeatedly. South Carolina is one of two active measles hot spots in the U.S., with the other being the Arizona-Utah border, where 337 cases have occurred since August.
Last year was the worst for measles in the U.S. since 1991, with 2,144 cases across 44 states. Health experts warn the virus is nearing a comeback, potentially ending the U.S.'s status of eliminated local spread, as happened in Canada in November.
The same strain is spreading across the Americas, with concerns heightened as the one-year anniversary of a major outbreak in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma -- which sickened 900 and killed three -- approaches.

What is measles?
Measles is a respiratory disease that is spread through the air by coughing and sneezing. It can also be transmitted through contact with secretions from nose or mouth of an infected person. The virus can live for up to two hours in the air where the infected person was present.

Symptoms usually begin one to two weeks after exposure but can appear up to 21 days. This includes:
- High fever (may spike to more than 104 degrees)
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth (Koplik Spots) two to three days after symptoms begin
- A rash that is red, raised, blotchy; usually starts on face, spreads to trunk, arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin

The disease can lead to severe complications like pneumonia and encephalitis, especially in young children. Globally, measles killed 95,000 people in 2024 with most being unvaccinated children five and under.
Public health officials recommend that all unvaccinated people aged one and older receive measles vaccinations. The vaccine is also recommended for infants 6 to 11 months who are traveling internationally or to areas with active measles outbreaks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.