NCDHHS Flags 2 Measles Exposure Sites in Western North Carolina

Q: With measles cases hitting a 30-year high, could a simple gas station stop in North Carolina expose you to this highly contagious virus?

Yes. A brief stop at a gas station can be enough to expose someone to measles, because the virus spreads through the air and can linger for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. That is why North Carolina health officials issued an exposure alert for the Exxon at 1920 Four Seasons Blvd. in Hendersonville, where an infectious out-of-state traveler was present on Aug. 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Officials also identified the Holiday Inn Express at 435 Smokey Park Highway in Asheville on Aug. 26 from 1 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. as another possible exposure site. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known. Health agencies say up to 90% of nearby people who are not immune can become infected after exposure. You do not need close physical contact; simply being in the same indoor space during the risk window can be enough. Anyone at the Hendersonville gas station during that period should monitor for symptoms through Sept. 15. Those at the Asheville hotel should watch through Sept. 16. Symptoms usually begin 7 to 14 days after exposure, but can take up to 21 days, and include high fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, white spots in the mouth, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads. If symptoms develop, stay home and call ahead before going to a clinic or hospital. The best protection remains the MMR vaccine, which is highly effective, especially with two doses.

2 articles · Updated · WLOS · Aug 31

An Exxon in Hendersonville was added as a potential measles exposure site after an infectious out-of-state traveler passed through western North Carolina; the state had already identified an Asheville Holiday Inn Express.
NCDHHS said people at the Hendersonville station on Aug. 25 from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. or the Asheville hotel on Aug. 26 from 1 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. may have been exposed.
Sept. 15 and Sept. 16 are the symptom-monitoring deadlines for those two sites, respectively, with measles symptoms typically appearing 7 to 14 days after exposure but sometimes taking up to 21 days.
The virus spreads through the air and can linger for up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves; state officials urged unvaccinated people age 1 and older to get the MMR shot.
CDC had recorded 2,887 U.S. measles cases as of Aug. 27, the highest annual total since the second MMR dose became widely used in the early 1990s.