South Carolina health officials reported 124 new measles cases since Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 558, as a wave of infections centered around an outbreak in Spartanburg County continued to expand.
The reported rise represents a surge of almost 30% in the last few days, state officials said Friday, adding to a resurgence that has broadened since the holidays.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also reported measles cases this year in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and Virginia, alongside the South Carolina outbreak.
The article said last year was the worst for measles spread in the U.S. since 1991, when the U.S. confirmed 2,144 cases across 44 states, and three people died—all of them unvaccinated.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air, and it can move easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs.
Health officials noted that the disease is preventable through vaccines, though the U.S. remains at risk of losing the achievement of having considered measles eliminated since 2000.