A child with measles visited Forsyth and Guilford counties, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.
It marks North Carolina’s first confirmed case of measles this year.
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The child became ill while traveling to North Carolina from another country where measles outbreaks have been recently reported, the state said.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends people 1 year and older receive a measles vaccination to protect themselves and those around them.
The state is working with the Forsyth County Department of Public Health and Guilford County Health Department to identify locations and times where people might have been exposed to measles.
UNC's Dr. David Wohl said it's a day many doctors in the state have been preparing for.
"We have meetings every week and we talk about, 'Is this going to be the week?'" Wohl said. "This is a pretty serious disease, so we want people to identify it quickly, and we don't want it to spread."
The state recommends anyone who visited the following locations during the dates and times below to review their immunization records and contact their health care provider to make sure they’re up to date on the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
- 11:30 p.m. Thursday to 1:30 a.m. Friday at the Piedmont Triad International Airport
- 11:30 p.m. Thursday to 2:50 p.m. Friday at the Sleep Inn at 1406 Heartland Drive in Kernersville
- 5:15 p.m. Friday to 11:35 a.m. Saturday at the Sleep Inn at 1406 Heartland Drive in Kernersville
- 5:30 p.m. Saturday to 12:20 p.m. Sunday at the Sleep Inn at 1406 Heartland Drive in Kernersville
- Morning of Friday, June 20 at the McDonald’s at 14000 Heartland Drive in Kernersville
- 1:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Friday at the Greensboro Science Center at 4301 Lawndale Drive in Greensboro
- 4:40 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the Ice cream shop at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Greensboro
- 10 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Saturday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center foyer at 1921 West Gate City Blvd. in Greensboro
- 10:15 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. Saturday at the Greensboro Partee Shack at 3712 South Holden Road in Greensboro
- 4:50 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. Saturday at the Lowes Foods at 240 Market View Drive in Kernersville
"We're not asking everyone who was in these locations at these times to contact the health department. What we're asking is that they monitor for symptoms," said Dr. Zack Moore with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Measles has been rare in the state, with only one case in 2024. Prior to that, the last known case of measles was in 2018. Nationwide, cases on the rises, with deadly outbreak in Texas ealrier in 2025. Wohl said it's a concern, especially with a drop in vaccination rates.
"We worry about the perfect storm, where a whole bunch of people who were not immune were around this child and passing it on to other people who were not immune," Wohl said.
Laboratory testing is not recommended for people who were exposed unless they develop symptoms of measles, including fever and rash.
Symptoms of measles can start seven to 21 days after being exposed. If symptoms develop, please call ahead before visiting the doctor or emergency room so steps can be taken to prevent exposure to others.
“Getting vaccinated against measles continues to be the most important step we can take to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “It is important to check with your health care provider to ensure you are current with all your vaccines.”
People who have been exposed to measles may be eligible to receive post-exposure prophylaxis [PEP], which may prevent them from becoming ill. PEP may be offered to infants too young to receive an MMR vaccine, people who do not have age-appropriate vaccination, immunocompromised people and pregnant people.
Related: How to protect yourself from measles in NC