Measles cases reported in North Carolina after holiday travel

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On the heels of holiday travel, cold and flu season is in full swing. For those who aren’t fully vaccinated against measles, however, experts at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services say they could be putting themselves at high risk.

“Measles is what we call airborne,” Dr. Erica Wilson said. “The droplets that it travels in are so tiny that they will stay in the air for up to two hours after that person has cluster sneezed or coughed in that room, which is part of what makes it so infectious.”

Wilson is the medical director in the Medical Consultation Unit for NCDHHS. She says after the measles vaccine was introduced, it was rare to see cases of measles.

But in the last few years, cases have reappeared.

“We’re certainly concerned,” Wilson said. “These cases are part of a larger trend in decreased vaccination rates. And we will continue to see more and more cases of these vaccine-preventable diseases as vaccination rates go down.”

Wilson says that while measles may start like a common cold, it can be much more serious long term.

“Measles can have some serious sequelae. It can cause inflammation of the brain in severe cases,” Wilson said.  “In kids who have been infected, it can affect their immune system and their immunity to other diseases, so that they lose immunity that they’ve gained through all those colds that kids get in daycare and elementary school.”

Over the last two weeks, NCDHHS has reported at least five cases of measles in the state.

One in Polk County, three in Buncombe County, and one report of an exposure in Gaston County after a traveler passing through ate at a restaurant and later tested positive.

“This virus doesn’t follow state lines,” Wilson said. “So, you know, there’s a risk of spread, as we’ve seen with several travelers coming through the state.”

NCDHHS officials have praised the restaurant for its response to the situation. They say the restaurant quickly alerted staff and patrons of the exposure and advised them to take proper precautions.

“The restaurant putting out that notification is exactly the right thing to do,” Wilson said. “There’s nothing the restaurant could have done to prevent that. Somebody who was infectious ate there, and they had no way of knowing that.”

Still, Wilson says the best option for people to prevent the spread of measles is to get vaccinated.

“Every child that gets sick, every child that dies, is a death that could have been prevented with vaccination,” Wilson said. “And that’s something that we never want to see, is a child dying when we could have prevented it.”

Wilson says most children are vaccinated against measles after they turn 1 year old. However, Wilson says if you are traveling with a baby that is even 6 months old to a high-risk area, or internationally, talk to your child’s doctor about whether they should get the vaccine early to protect them.

Measles symptoms often appear 7-14 days after exposure, DHHS said, but can appear up to 21 days after. Health officials say to watch for the following symptoms:

• 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 

Anyone who comes in contact with the disease and experiences these symptoms should seek immediate medical care and contact their local health department.

Wilson says to keep in mind that measles is not the only virus on the rise. Flu and other respiratory illnesses are very common this time of year.