ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County health officials and a local pediatrician are urging residents to ensure they are vaccinated against measles as confirmed cases continue to rise in the community.

Seven Buncombe County residents have been diagnosed with measles, according to public health officials. Exposure sites in Buncombe and other North Carolina counties are updated twice weekly on the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services measles metrics webpage.

Buncombe County Public Health on Thursday confirmed a seventh case of measles in the Asheville area, this time involving an adult resident.

The newly confirmed case brings the total number of measles cases in Buncombe County to seven since Jan. 1, 2026, according to health officials. To protect the individual’s privacy, no additional identifying information will be released.

Health officials have identified several exposure locations connected to the new case and are urging anyone who was present at the listed sites during the specified times to monitor for symptoms.

Positive case exposure locations:

Novant Health – GoHealth Urgent Care, 349 New Leicester Highway, Asheville

• Date: Feb. 4, 2026
• Exposure Window: Noon to 3:45 p.m.
• Watch for Symptoms Through: Feb. 25, 2026

MAHEC Family Health Center – Biltmore, 123 Hendersonville Road, Asheville

• Date: Feb. 6, 2026
• Exposure Window: 2:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Watch for Symptoms Through: Feb. 27, 2026

Separately, Buncombe County Public Health has been notified of additional exposure sites linked to an individual with measles who is not a Buncombe County resident but visited multiple locations in the area while infectious.

Additional exposure locations:

The Inn on Biltmore Estate, 1 Antler Hill Road, Asheville

• Date: Feb. 3, 2026
• Exposure Windows: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 2 to 4:40 p.m.
• Watch for Symptoms Through: Feb. 24, 2026

Goodwill Store, 51 Mills Gap Road, Asheville

• Date: Feb. 3, 2026
• Exposure Window: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Watch for Symptoms Through: Feb. 24, 2026

Goodwill Store, 86 South Tunnel Road, Asheville

• Date: Feb. 3, 2026
• Exposure Window: 12:45 to 3:30 p.m.
• Watch for Symptoms Through: Feb. 24, 2026

Public health officials are conducting contact tracing to identify and notify individuals who may have been exposed. Officials said they continue to monitor for additional cases.

Anyone who was at the listed locations during the exposure windows and has not been contacted is urged to call the N.C. Public Health Outreach Team at 844-628-7223 for guidance.

During a recent public forum, Buncombe County Health Director Dr. Jennifer Mullendore and Dr. Brigette Fogleman, a pediatrician and partner at Asheville Children’s Medical Center, emphasized that vaccination remains the most effective protection against the highly contagious virus.

Unvaccinated children are at the highest risk of infection and complications, officials said. Measles can lead to pneumonia in about 1 in 20 unvaccinated children and can cause encephalitis (swelling of the brain), which may result in seizures, hearing loss, brain damage or death. About 1 in 3 children younger than 5 who contract measles require hospitalization, officials said.

A rare but fatal complication known as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a degenerative neurological condition, can develop seven to 10 years after infection. It occurs in approximately 1 in 600 unvaccinated children who contract measles, according to health officials.

“There is no specific antiviral treatment for measles,” Fogleman said. “Care is supportive — fluids, rest, fever reducers and oxygen in severe cases.”

Vitamin A may be used in hospitalized patients under medical supervision, but officials stressed it does not prevent or cure measles and should not be given at home because of the risk of toxicity.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known and can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. Because of that, health officials said quarantine and isolation measures are critical to limiting spread.

Isolation applies to individuals who are sick and requires them to stay home until at least four days after the onset of rash. Quarantine applies to people exposed to measles who are not immune and can last up to 21 days after exposure, the virus’s incubation period. Those individuals may be required to stay home or avoid high-risk settings such as schools and child care centers.

Officials acknowledged that quarantine can create financial and logistical hardships but said the measures are necessary to protect vulnerable populations, particularly infants too young to be vaccinated.

The standard measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine schedule calls for the first dose at 12 months of age, when the immune response is strongest. However, because of community spread, NCDHHS is recommending providers consider an early dose for infants ages 6 to 11 months. Children who receive an early dose will still need the routine doses later.

Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles. While breakthrough infections can occur in vaccinated individuals, the vast majority of cases are among those who are unvaccinated, officials said.

There is no credible scientific evidence linking the MMR vaccine to autism, according to multiple international studies, health officials said.

Local pediatric practices have implemented additional screening protocols to prevent potential exposures. At Asheville Children’s Medical Center, patients are screened before appointments, and those with possible measles symptoms are evaluated outside the clinic to avoid exposing infants and other vulnerable patients.

Hospitals are using airborne isolation rooms when possible for suspected cases, though officials acknowledged that emergency departments are particularly challenging settings due to walk-in patients.

Health officials urged anyone with symptoms of measles — especially those who believe they have been exposed — to call ahead before visiting a medical facility so appropriate precautions can be taken.

Residents are encouraged to review their vaccination records and get vaccinated if they are not immune. Additional information about measles in Buncombe County is available here.