Health officials warn of possible measles exposure at RDU

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — State and local health officials are warning travelers of a potential measles exposure after a confirmed case passed through Terminal 2 of Raleigh-Durham International Airport while infectious earlier this month.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Wake County Public Health say the individual, who is a resident of another state, was in Terminal 2 between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, while preparing for an early morning flight. To protect the person’s privacy, no additional identifying information has been released.

Health officials say there is no known ongoing health risk at the airport at this time.

Anyone who was in Terminal 2 during that time frame could have been exposed and should monitor for measles-like symptoms through Jan. 1. Those with questions are encouraged to contact their local health department. Passengers on flights taken by the infected individual are being contacted directly by their local health departments.

If symptoms develop, health officials urge people to stay home unless medical care is needed and to call ahead before visiting a doctor’s office or emergency room to prevent exposing 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.”

Public health officials recommend that all unvaccinated individuals ages 1 year and older receive the measles vaccine. The vaccine is also recommended for infants ages 6 to 11 months who will be traveling internationally or to areas with active measles outbreaks.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,912 measles cases have been confirmed across 43 states so far in 2025. That marks the highest number of measles cases reported in the United States since the second dose of the MMR vaccine became widely used in the early 1990s.

No measles cases have been identified among North Carolina residents in 2025, though a confirmed case was reported in June involving a child who traveled to North Carolina from another country experiencing measles outbreaks.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease spread through coughing and sneezing, as well as direct contact with an infected person’s nasal or oral secretions. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.

Symptoms typically appear 7 to 14 days after exposure but can take up to 21 days to develop. Symptoms may include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, tiny white spots inside the mouth, and a red, blotchy rash that usually begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

Measles can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis, particularly in young children. Globally, measles caused an estimated 95,000 deaths in 2024, most of them among unvaccinated children age 5 and younger. Health officials say vaccination efforts have reduced measles deaths by 88% since 2000.

“Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing serious illness and death,” said Wake County Public Health Director Rebecca Kaufman. “The MMR vaccine is effective, safe and readily available.”