Deadly Victorian Disease: Measles Confirmed on University Campus

An outbreak of measles in the US has spread to a South Carolina university, where one person has been confirmed to be isolating after contracting the highly contagious disease. Health experts are investigating a fast-moving outbreak in South Carolina, where more than 200 new cases were diagnosed in the last week. The state’s Clemson University confirmed “a case of measles of an individual affiliated with the University”, adding that the infected person was isolating and contact tracing was under way. Around 30,000 students attend the university. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT READ MORE: The terrifying cancer that's now 'the most common in the UK' More than 500 cases of measles have been diagnosed in South Carolina since autumn, with at least eight victims needing hospital treatment. Across the US, some 2,065 measles cases were reported across 43 states in 2025, the highest total for more than 30 years. Experts warned that the figures were likely to underestimate the true scale of the outbreak as some infected people may not see a doctor. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Dr Johnathon Elkes, an emergency medicine physician at Prisma Health in Greenville, South Carolina, said last week: “We feel like we’re really kind of staring over the edge, knowing that this is about to get a lot worse.” Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Health officials have said that the majority of patients reported in South Carolina are children and teenagers, and most are unvaccinated. Measles was a common a deadly illness during the 19th century, but is resurfacing now due to falling vaccination rates. The UK Health Security Agency warned last year that more than one in 10 eligible children under the age of five in England had not had the MMR vaccine, or were only partially vaccinated. The latest news from around the world Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy Get More of Our News on Google Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value. The virus is highly contagious, so even a small decline in MMR uptake can lead to a rise in cases, it said.