Second Measles Case Confirmed in North Carolina

A child in Polk County, North Carolina, contracted measles in late December 2025, marking the second confirmed case in the state this year and highlighting the spillover from a severe outbreak in neighboring South Carolina. Health officials believe the unvaccinated child, who has since recovered, was exposed during visits to locations in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, before developing symptoms prior to Christmas.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported the case on Wednesday, linking it to South Carolina's ongoing outbreak, which has recorded 179 cases since July. Most of those infections, about 93 percent nationwide, have occurred among unvaccinated individuals, primarily children under 18. In response, DHHS advised anyone present at Polk Central Elementary School in Mill Spring on December 18 or Mercy Urgent Care Foothills in Columbus on December 23 to verify their vaccination status. The agency withheld further details on the child to protect privacy.

This incident follows another potential exposure in North Carolina last month, when a traveler with measles passed through Raleigh-Durham International Airport, possibly infecting others...