Measles Outbreak Reaches Clemson Campus as South Carolina Cases Surge

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) — South Carolina’s fast-growing measles outbreak has now reached a major college campus, after health officials confirmed a case linked to Clemson University.

State health officials said a person affiliated with the university tested positive for the highly contagious virus, raising fears as the outbreak continues to spread across the state.

Clemson said the university was notified of the diagnosis by the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH).

"The individual has isolated per DPH requirements, and DPH is conducting contact tracing with individuals who may have been exposed and outlining isolation and quarantine protocols," the university said in a statement. "DPH will provide email notifications to any individuals identified as possible contacts who may need to quarantine."

Clemson, which is about 120 miles east of Atlanta, has about 30,000 students. The confirmed case comes just days after state officials warned that South Carolina’s measles outbreak was rapidly worsening.

As of Tuesday, 646 measles cases have been reported statewide since the outbreak began last fall. Of those, 88 new cases have been confirmed since Friday, according to DPH.

The department said 34 students at Clemson are in quarantine as are 50 at Anderson University, a half-hour to the south.

“Over the last seven to nine days, we’ve had upwards of over 200 new cases. That’s doubled just in the last week,” Dr. Johnathon Elkes, an emergency medicine physician at Prisma Health in Greenville, South Carolina, told NBC News. 

Health officials say eight people have been hospitalized due to complications from measles, although it’s unclear how many remain in the hospital.

About 200 people are currently infected, Dr. Robin LaCroix, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Prisma Health, added. That number could be higher, she said, because measles can spread up to four days before symptoms appear.

Each infected person can pass the virus to up to a dozen others, making outbreaks difficult to control.

Most cases in South Carolina have been reported in children and teenagers, and most were not vaccinated, state officials said.

Measles often begins with a fever, followed by a red, blotchy rash that starts on the head and spreads downward. While many recover, the illness can cause serious complications, and can be deadly.

Nationwide, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 2,242 measles cases last year, including three deaths. Nearly all cases occurred in people under 20, and 93% were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, the agency said.

More information

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has more on measles.

SOURCE: NBC News, Jan. 19, 2026