A Mecklenburg County child with measles is the first confirmed case reported in North Carolina since 2018.
Officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the child was likely exposed while traveling out of the country, and the parents kept the child at home after returning to North Carolina except for one medical visit.
Measles is highly contagious and spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. NCDHHS said a person can catch the illness just by being in a room where an infected person has been -- up to two hours later.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo-Tilson said parents, schools, early childhood education providers and health care providers should work to ensure everyone is up to date with their measles vaccinations.
