Wake County, NC health officials have reported a confirmed measles case in an individual that showed symptoms of the disease over the weekend after returning from international travel.

People may have been exposed to measles at the following locations, dates and times:

WakeMed Physician Practices in the WakeMed Garner Healthplex
Friday, June 8 from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m.
WakeMed Raleigh Campus: Children’s Emergency Department, Adult Emergency Department (D-Bay), Chest Pain Unit and Imaging
Friday, June 8 from 11 p.m. through Saturday, June 9 at 7 a.m.
WakeMed Raleigh Campus: Children’s Emergency Department, Adult Emergency Department (D-Bay), Chest Pain Unit and Imaging
Sunday, June 10 from 8:30 p.m. through Monday, June 11 at 3 a.m.
WakeMed Physician Practices in the WakeMed Garner Healthplex
Monday, June 11 from 1 p.m. through 5:30 p.m.
Duke University Hospital Emergency Department, Durham
Wednesday, June 13 from 3:30 p.m. through Thursday, June 14 at 1 a.m.

People who have received two doses of the vaccine for measles as recommended and individuals born before 1957 are considered protected from the virus for life. For people who have not been immunized, the disease is highly contagious.

Measles/CDC
Measles/CDC

How contagious is measles? Answer: Very

Health officials advise if you have NOT been vaccinated against measles AND were at one of these locations during the time frames listed above, call the North Carolina Communicable Disease Branch at 919-733-3419 or your doctor right away.

Do not show up at the hospital or a doctor’s office without calling first to avoid putting other patients or medical staff at risk. Your doctor can help determine if you are immune or make special arrangements to evaluate you if you are sick.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms begin with a fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. These symptoms are followed by a rash that typically appears first on the face, along the hairline or behind the ears, and then spreads to the rest of the body. The symptoms of measles usually appear about seven to 14 days after a person is infected.

Measles: The ABCs of this very contagious viral disease

People with measles are usually contagious for four days before the rash starts, the day it first appears and the following four days.Common complications include diarrhea and ear infections. Some people may suffer from severe complications, such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs) and encephalitis (swelling of the brain).Infants, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are more at risk of complications from measles.

Vaccination is the best protection from measles. Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing a person from contracting the disease if exposed to it.