Measles Is Causing Brain Swelling in Children in South Carolina

Some children affected by measles successful the ongoing South Carolina outbreak person developed a superior complication of the illness called encephalitis, oregon swelling of the brain, authorities epidemiologist Linda Bell said connected Wednesday.

The South Carolina measles outbreak began successful October with a fistful of infections. As of February 3, cases person climbed to 876, with 700 of those being reported since the opening of the year. The surge could mean different atrocious twelvemonth of measles for the United States, which had much than 2,267 cases—the highest successful 30 years—in 2025. Declining vaccination rates crossed the state are driving the resurgence.

Encephalitis is simply a uncommon but terrible complication of measles that tin pb to convulsions and origin deafness oregon intelligence disablement successful children. It usually occurs wrong 30 days of an archetypal measles corruption and tin hap if the encephalon becomes infected with the microorganism oregon if an immune absorption to the microorganism causes inflammation successful the brain. Among children who get measles encephalitis, 10 to 15 percent die.

It’s not known however galore children successful South Carolina person developed this superior complication. Under authorities law, measles cases indispensable beryllium reported to the South Carolina Department of Public Health, but measles hospitalizations and complications bash not request to beryllium disclosed.

“We don't remark connected the outcomes of individuals, but we bash cognize that inflammation of the brain, oregon encephalitis, is simply a known complication of measles,” Bell told reporters during a media briefing connected Wednesday. “Anytime you person inflammation of the brain, determination tin beryllium semipermanent consequences, things similar developmental hold and impacts connected the neurologic strategy that tin beryllium irreversible.”

The section is alert of 19 measles-related hospitalizations successful the state, including immoderate owed to pneumonia, which occurs successful astir 1 successful 20 children with measles and is the starring origin of decease for children who get measles.

Bell besides said that respective large women who were exposed to the microorganism required medication of immune globulin, a concentrated solution of antibodies. It provides impermanent extortion against measles for unvaccinated individuals. Measles vulnerability during gestation tin origin preterm commencement oregon miscarriage.

A rarer benignant of encephalon swelling called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, oregon SSPE, tin hap years aft a measles infection. In September, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported the decease of a school-age kid owed to SSPE. The kid was primitively infected with measles arsenic an babe earlier they were aged capable to person the measles vaccine, the archetypal dose of which is recommended for children betwixt 12 and 15 months old.

After recovering from the archetypal measles illness, the kid developed SSPE, successful which the microorganism remains dormant successful the encephalon earlier triggering an inflammatory effect that destroys encephalon insubstantial implicit time. The information usually appears 7 to 10 years aft a idiosyncratic appears to retrieve from the archetypal measles infection. An estimated 2 successful 10,000 radical who get measles yet make SSPE.

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the champion mode to forestall measles and superior complications associated with it.

Over 7,000 much doses of the MMR vaccine were fixed statewide successful South Carolina this January compared to January 2025, a 72 percent increase. In Spartanburg County, the halfway of the outbreak, implicit 1,000 much doses were fixed this January compared to January 2025, a 162 percent increase. So far, January was the champion period for measles vaccination during the outbreak, Bell said.