Someone with measles traveled through terminal two
of Raleigh-Durham International Airport while infected last week, according to the state
and Wake County.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
[DHHS] said the person lives in another state.
“Measles is a highly contagious disease and it spreads
quickly in children and adults who are not vaccinated,” said State
Epidemiologist Zack Moore. “All North Carolinians should ensure that they
and their families are up to date on their MMR vaccine.”
The person arrived in the early morning of Dec. 10 at the
terminal, according to the DHHS.
There is no known health risk at the Raleigh-Durham
International Airport as of Wednesday, according to the state.
Public health leaders are recommending all unvaccinated
individuals ages 1 year and older receive measles vaccination to protect
themselves and those around them. Measles vaccine is also recommended for
infants 6-11 months who will be traveling internationally or to areas with
active measles outbreaks.
Any person that was in terminal 2 between 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.
on Wednesday, Dec. 10 could have been exposed to measles and should monitor for
measles-like symptoms until Jan. 1, 2026. The state also urges anyone there to contact
their local health department with any questions.
As of Dec. 9, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has reported 1,912 people from 43 states as confirmed measles cases
this year. This is the highest number of measles cases reported in the U.S.
since the second dose of MMR vaccine became widely used in the early 1990s. No
cases of measles have been identified in North Carolina residents in 2025,
though a confirmed case was identified in June in a child who traveled to North
Carolina from another country where measles outbreaks had recently been
reported.
Measles is a respiratory disease that is spread through the
air by coughing and sneezing. It can also be transmitted through contact with
secretions from the nose or mouth of an infected person. The virus can live for
up to two hours in the air where the infected person was present. Symptoms of
measles usually begin seven to 14 days after exposure, but can appear up to 21
days after exposure and may include:
- High fever (may spike to more than 104 degrees)
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth (Koplik Spots) two to three days after symptoms begin
- A rash that is red, raised, blotchy; usually starts on face, spreads to trunk, arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin
Measles can lead to severe complications like pneumonia and
encephalitis, especially in young children. Globally, measles killed
approximately 95,000 people in 2024, with most of those being unvaccinated
children 5 and under. This number has dropped 88% since 2000 thanks to
vaccination efforts, meaning measles vaccines saved nearly 59 million lives
since that time.
Vaccinations are safe, effective and remain the best way to
prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from respiratory viral
infections and from vaccine-preventable infections like measles. Measles can be
prevented by the combination MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. The
MMR vaccine is highly effective at preventing measles, and it is
recommended that all adults and children 1 year and older be up to date on
their measles vaccine.
