The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Wake County Public Health have confirmed a case of measles in a traveler who passed through Terminal 2 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on the morning of Wednesday, December 10.
The patient, who lives out of state, was infectious during their time at the airport, and health officials said anyone who was in the terminal between 4 and 8 a.m. should watch for measles symptoms until January 1 and contact their local health department with questions.
Passengers on the same flights as the infected person are being notified directly.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore said while there have been nearly 2,000 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. this year -- the highest since the early 1990s – nobody in North Carolina residents has been diagnosed with the illness in 2025.
However, measles spreads easily through the air and can linger for up to two hours in a space after an infected person has left. Symptoms usually appear 7-14 days after exposure, but can take up to 21 days to develop.
Symptoms 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
