YORK COUNTY, S.C. -- A deadly disease has reappeared in the Carolinas.
State medical officials are reporting the first case of measles in South Carolina in more than twenty years.
The highly contagious disease is usually passed through coughing and sneezing and in some cases is fatal.
According to DHEC, someone who lives in Georgetown County, which is near Myrtle Beach, contracted the disease last week. This marks the first case of measles reported in the Palmetto State since 1997.
South Carolina now joining a list of 21 other states that are also dealing with an outbreak and medical experts believe the cases stem from people who refuse vaccines.
NBC Charlotte has learned the number of North Carolina parents opting out of childhood shots is on the rise.
Out of the 130,000 kindergarteners, more than 2,000 did not receive vaccines due to religious reasons. That number doubling since 2012.
But in South Carolina, the vaccine rate is higher than the national average with nearly 80 percent of children of children receiving their shots.