More possible measles exposures identified in the Triangle, health officials say

The Orange County Health Department is warning of a possible measles exposure in Chapel Hill, officials announced Thursday.

“A person infected with measles visited a public place in Orange County while contagious,” a statement from the county’s health department said.

Officials say the person visited the Goodwill Store at 1115 Weaver Dairy Road in Chapel Hill on Friday, Feb. 6 between 9 a.m. and noon.

Anyone who was in the store during that time could have been exposed to measles, officials say. If you have never received the measles vaccine (MMR vaccine), county health officials say to contact 919-245-2400 to speak to a communicable disease nurse and assess your measles risk.

The news comes a day after officials in Johnston County reported their first confirmed measles infection since 2018.

Earlier this week, officials in Durham and Wake counties also reported possible measles exposures involving several locations throughout those areas where an infected person is reported to have visited.

Health officials say measles is highly contagious and can live for up to two hours in the air where an infected person was present. “Vaccination and isolation are key to limiting disease spread,” officials said.

The following symptoms of measles usually start 7-14 days after exposure, health officials say, but can appear up to 21 days after exposure.

• 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), appearing 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 also cause complications including diarrhea, pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and suppression of the immune system

As of Feb. 10, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports 18 confirmed measles cases since December. That total does not include the case confirmed in Johnston County this week.

Only one case since December, the department says, has required hospitalization.

In South Carolina, there have been 933 confirmed cases of measles in an outbreak. That outbreak is centered around Spartanburg County, which sits on the border with North Carolina west of Charlotte.

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