Measles Cases and Outbreaks in North Carolina
North Carolina Measles Metrics
Updated twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays by NCDHHS at approximately noon.
Last updated: March 10
Data current as of: 3 p.m. March 9
Number of Cases Since December 2025
Newly Reported Cases
Cases reported since last update
Total Cases Hospitalized Since December 2025
Cases and Detections Since December 2025
For Residents and Visitors
Measles cases are rising in NC. Cases have mostly affected people who are not vaccinated.
- Everyone 1 year and older should get the MMR vaccine.
- Parents and health care providers should talk about early MMR vaccination for infants 6-11 months old who live in or travel to areas with community spread.
Talk with your health care provider about vaccination if you live in or plan to visit:
Testing at NC Wastewater Sites
NC tests samples of wastewater for measles virus twice weekly at 36 wastewater treatment sites.
4 detections since December 2025
0 newly reported detections
Updated weekly on Wednesdays. Last updated March 4.
About Wastewater Testing
People who have measles shed tiny viral particles in their stool. In wastewater, these particles are no longer infectious but can still be measured. This helps health experts spot the trends in disease – even if people have not gotten medical care or testing. This helps public health teams understand how measles is spreading.
Results are shared with the CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). Results are posted weekly at CDC.gov. Learn more about wastewater testing.
Cases by Vaccination Status
| Vaccination Status* | Percent of Cases |
|---|---|
| Unvaccinated/unknown | 65% |
| One dose of the MMR vaccine | 30% |
| Two doses of the MMR vaccine | 5% |
*Depending on someone’s age and risk level, one dose may be considered up to date
Cases by Age Group
| Age Group | Number of Cases |
|---|---|
| 17 and younger | 18 |
| 18 and older | 5 |
| Total | 23 |
| Week Ending | Number of Cases |
|---|---|
| March 7, 2026 | 0 |
| Feb. 28, 2026 | 0 |
| Feb. 21, 2026 | 2 |
| Feb. 14, 2026 | 2 |
| Feb. 7, 2026 | 2 |
| Jan. 31, 2026 | 3 |
| Jan. 24, 2026 | 2 |
| Jan. 17, 2026 | 4 |
| Jan. 10, 2026 | 5 |
| Jan. 3, 2026 | 3 |
| Dec. 27, 2025 | 0 |
| Dec. 20, 2025 | 1 |
| Dec. 13, 2025 | 0 |
| Dec. 6, 2025 | 0 |
These are areas where person-to-person spread of measles in the community is known or suspected to have occurred. While some of these counties have no reported cases, measles may still be spreading nearby.
- Buncombe County
- The Charlotte Metropolitan area, including these counties: Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Union
- A case refers to measles infection reported in an NC resident. These metrics do not include cases reported in travelers.
- Cases are confirmed by having positive laboratory testing or measles-like symptoms and known contact with a confirmed case. More information on case definition (PDF).
- The date used for this dashboard is the date symptoms began. If that date is not available, specimen collection date is used, if available, or date of initial report to public health. The earliest date a case was identified may change as we learn more information. Dates may differ from CDC's Measles and Outbreaks page.
- County is defined as county of residence.
Vaccines work. Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself, your family and your community from severe illness. They help prevent hospital stays and can save lives.
Previous Measles Cases in NC
From 2005 through 2024, North Carolina had 35 measles cases. This includes an outbreak in 2013 with 23 cases.
Most of these cases did not lead to others getting sick thanks to high vaccination rates across the state. Most cases occurred after international travel by people who were not vaccinated.
NC had no reported measles cases from 2019 through 2023. There was one case in the fall of 2024. Then, in the summer of 2025, measles was reported in an international traveler visiting NC.
More Data
- NC Measles Vaccination Dashboard - estimated MMR coverage among elementary school students
- NC Kindergarten Immunization Dashboard
- NC Respiratory Virus Dashboards
- NC Communicable Disease Dashboard
- Measles Cases and Outbreaks (CDC)