Measles exposure alert issued for Newark airport due to infected traveler

New Jersey health officials are warning travelers who passed through Newark Liberty International Airport on Dec. 19 that they may have been exposed to measles.

A passenger, who is not a New Jersey resident, traveled through at least two of the airport’s terminals, state Department of Health officials said Friday.

Anyone who was in Terminal B at 7 a.m. or Terminal C at 7 p.m. on Dec. 19 may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus.

Health officials said they do not have information about where the infected person was between those times.

People who were exposed could develop symptoms as late as Jan. 2.

Anyone who suspects exposure or illness should call their local health department or health care provider before visiting any medical facility, officials said.

Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection.

Measles symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes and a rash that typically appears three to five days after symptoms begin.

The rash starts as flat red spots on the face at the hairline and spreads downward to the neck, torso, arms, legs and feet.

Serious complications can include pneumonia and encephalitis. Pregnant people face risks of miscarriage, premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby.

The virus spreads easily through the air when someone coughs or sneezes and can remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.

People can also contract measles through contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person.

New Jersey has had 11 confirmed measles cases in 2025, compared with seven cases in 2024.

Nationally, measles cases have soared to 2,012 across 44 jurisdictions as of Dec. 23, the highest levels reported since 1992.

The state health department is working with local officials on contact tracing and efforts to notify people who might have been exposed.

Those at risk include people who have not been fully vaccinated or have not had measles in the past.

The MMR vaccine, administered in two doses, is the most effective way to protect against measles, mumps and rubella