Over 200 people quarantined in South Carolina over measles outbreak

More than 200 people have been quarantined in South Carolina over a measles outbreak.

The state's Department of Public Health, as of Tuesday, reported 27 new cases of measles since Friday, bringing the total number related to an outbreak in the area to 111, according to The Hill news outlet. Most of the reported cases of the virus were in unvaccinated children.

Of the total number, 105 are unvaccinated, one is vaccinated and another three are partially vaccinated – having received one of the recommended two-dose MMR sequence – and the vaccination status of two people is unknown, the the health department confirmed. 

Most of the confirmed cases are in children: 75 from ages 5-17; 20 cases are in children under 5; and 10 are in adults. There are also six cases in minors whose ages are undisclosed.

Of the 27 new cases, 16 were from people who previously reported exposure at the Way of Truth Church in Inman, S.C.

There were also eight cases confirmed in members of the same household of someone who previously reported a positive case. One person caught measles after previously reporting exposure in a school setting, and another person was exposed in a health care setting. The DPH could not confirm the source of exposure for the last of the new cases.

Of the at least 254 people quarantined, 43 students were from Inman Intermediate School, where the DPH identified public exposures and started notifying potentially exposed students and staff last week. The DPH said students who successfully quarantine without becoming sick can return to school on Monday.

There are 16 people in South Carolina currently in isolation.

There have been 114 measles cases reported overall, according to the DPH.

The South Carolina outbreak is one of several seen in areas across the U.S. this year, which has seen the highest number of reported measles cases since the disease was declared eradicated in 2000.