Case of measles reported in Wake County
Wake County health officials are issuing a warning after a case of measles was confirmed Saturday.
Health officials said the diagnosed patient showed symptoms of the disease after returning from international travel.
Symptoms of measles typically begin with a fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. Those symptoms are usually followed by a rash that first appears on the face, along the hairline or behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
Measles can be spread through the air and symptoms typically appear about seven to 14 days after a person was infected, although people can be contagious up to four days before symptoms begin.
Those who have been vaccinated for the disease are considered protected from the virus for life, but the disease is highly contagious for those who have not been vaccinated.
Health officials said people may have been exposed to measles if they were at the following locations:
- WakeMed Physician Practices in the WakeMed Garner Healthplex on June 8 from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m.
- WakeMed Raleigh Campus: Children’s Emergency Department, Adult Emergency Department or the Chest Pain Unit and Imaging from 11 p.m. on June 8 through 7 a.m. on June 9 and from 8:30 p.m. on June 10 through 3 a.m. on June 11.
- WakeMed Physician Practices in the WakeMed Garner Healthplex from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on June 11
- Duke University Hospital Emergency Department in Durham from 3:30 p.m. on June 13 through 1 a.m. on June 14.
Those who believe they may have been exposed to measles are asked to call the North Carolina Communicable Disease Branch at 919-733-3419 or contact their doctor.
People who may have been exposed are advised against showing up at a hospital or doctor’s office without calling first in order to avoid putting other patients at risk.
