Measles Confirmed After Exposure at Mission Hospital Emergency Waiting Room

Buncombe County Public Health confirmed three cases of measles in siblings who live in the same household after the family traveled to Spartanburg County, South Carolina about one to two weeks before the children became ill. The county identified a potential exposure at the Mission Hospital emergency department waiting room, 509 Biltmore Ave., in Asheville between approximately 2:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 4. Officials asked anyone who was in that waiting room during that time to call Buncombe County Public Health at 828-250-6100 for guidance rather than showing up unannounced at a clinic or emergency department.

State officials linked the Spartanburg exposure to a larger regional outbreak, making these Buncombe County’s first confirmed measles cases connected to that chain of transmission. Public health leaders emphasized the urgency of identifying contacts because measles is highly contagious and can spread before a rash appears.

County public health director Dr. Ellis Matheson said the new measles cases are arriving at an especially difficult moment for local health services. “We are seeing multiple diseases transmitting at once,” Matheson said. Buncombe County is also managing a community outbreak of varicella, with 89 reported chickenpox cases tied to the outbreak and one school placed in outbreak status; nonimmune students and staff at that school have been excluded through Jan. 12. At the same time, the county noted 25 pertussis cases linked to outbreaks in two school districts, although no students or staff had been excluded because of pertussis at the time of reporting.

Public health officials urged residents to review immunization records and get up to date on recommended vaccines: two doses of MMR for measles-mumps-rubella provide strong protection, varicella vaccine protects against chickenpox, and pertussis-containing vaccines reduce whooping cough risk. People born before 1957 are generally considered immune to measles; others should rely on laboratory proof of immunity or vaccination records.

Residents who believe they were exposed and develop symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, or later a rash should call their health care provider or Buncombe County Public Health at 828-250-6100 before visiting. Officials stressed that calling first allows clinics and hospitals to take precautions to reduce further spread and to direct people to appropriate testing, vaccination, or isolation measures.

The hospital waiting room exposure at a major emergency department increases the possibility of additional contacts, adding pressure to contact tracing and infection control across schools, hospitals and households. Public health leaders urged vaccination, timely reporting of symptoms, and cooperation with contact investigations to protect vulnerable community members and to limit further spread.