The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Wake County Public Health have been informed of a confirmed measles case in a person who traveled through Terminal 2 of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport last week while infectious. This person, who is a resident of another state, arrived at the terminal for an early morning flight on Dec. 10, 2025. To protect the individual’s privacy, additional information about this case will not be released. There is no known health risk at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport at this time. Public health officials are recommending all unvaccinated individuals ages one 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 individual that was in Terminal 2 between 4-8 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10 could have been exposed to measles and should monitor for measles-like symptoms until Jan. 1, and contact their local health department with any questions. Passengers on flights taken by the person with measles are being contacted individually by their local health departments. If symptoms develop, please stay at home unless seeking medical care and call ahead before visiting the doctor or emergency room so steps can be taken to prevent exposure to others.
"Measles is a highly contagious disease and it spreads quickly in children and adults who are not vaccinated," said State Epidemiologist Zack Moore, M.D, MPH. "All North Carolinians should ensure that they and their families are up to date on their MMR vaccine."
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 NC 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 7-14 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.
"Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing serious illness and death," said Rebecca Kaufman, Wake County Public Health Director. "The MMR vaccine is effective, safe and readily available, and we hope these outbreaks will encourage everyone who has not been vaccinated to contact their health care provider to make sure they are up to date."
North Carolina residents can contact their health care provider or visit their local health department for additional information on ways to obtain the vaccine and schedule an appointment. Children eligible for the Vaccines for Children program may receive the vaccine from a provider enrolled in that program. The NCDHHS measles immunity checker tool is also available for those who are unsure whether they might need additional protection.
For more information about measles, please visit dph.ncdhhs.gov/measles.