HILLSBOROUGH – Your local Orange County health department has been recognized by the NC Division of Public Health/Communicable Disease Branch for “Best Practice in an Outbreak Response Associated with the Spring 2013 Measles Outbreak.”

Community health services supervisor at the Orange County health department, Judy Butler, says the county’s effective response was rooted in its quick action after cases were discovered.

“It’s not something that you can let lie on your desk for a couple of days and then start working on it,” Butler says.

During the spread, 25 quarantine and isolation orders were given by the county, and eight cases of measles infection were confirmed.

“This is the largest number of quarantine and isolation orders we’ve had to issue in quite some time,” Butler says. “One reason for that is that measles is highly infectious.”

All of the measles cases in this incident were traced back to exposure in Stokes County.

 

Related Stories
‹
Confirmed Measles Case Reported at Chapel Hill Goodwill Store
The Orange County Health Department has reported that a person infected with measles recently visited a public place while contagious. According to the department, anyone who visited the Goodwill store at 1115 Weaver Dairy Road in Chapel Hill between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6 may have been exposed. Anyone who thinks […]
On Measles, Orange County Wants to Bring 'Immunity to the Community'
Later this month, Orange County is hosting a public symposium on measles, part of a push to urge parents to get their kids vaccinated.
On Air Today: Orange County Measles Symposium, 'Bringing Immunity to the Community'
Orange County medical director Erica Pettigrew joins Aaron to discuss an upcoming public symposium on measles and the MMR vaccine.
HYAA Baseball Attendees Possible Measles Exposure
Nine cases of the measles have been confirmed in Orange County, 23 in North Carolina.
OC Health Department Still On Alert For New Measles Cases
HILLSBOROUGH- Health Department officials say the measles outbreak in Orange County is under control, but we’re not out of the woods yet. Communications Manager Stacy Shelp says the recent outbreak seems to be winding down. “In Orange County we’re still at five confirmed cases of measles. We do have two suspect cases that we’re watching, […]
On Air Today: The Importance of Vaccines, with the Chatham County Board of Health
With measles cases on the rise, the Chatham County Board of Health recently issued a statement urging everyone to get vaccinated.
UNC, Research Triangle Community Members Rally for 'Stand Up For Science' Day of Action
Saturday was a national day of 'Stand Up For Science' protests, with dozens of Research Triangle community members taking part in Chapel Hill.
'It Will Ripple to The Rest of The Community': How Cuts to Affordable Healthcare Impact Everyone
Upcoming federal policy changes to Medicaid and other programs will impact who has access to affordable healthcare.
Equity in Health Care - December 11, 2025
What is the state of health care today, both nationally and here in our community? And what needs to be done to address disparities?
As Measles Cases Mount in the US, What’s the Situation Worldwide?
The U.S. registered its first death from measles since 2015 this week. While more common globally, the virus' numbers are up in recent years.
›