NEW JERSEY (WABC) — The New Jersey Department of Health is alerting residents of potential measles exposures related to a newly identified case in a non-New Jersey resident who visited multiple locations in the state while contagious.
The department said Friday that potential exposures could have occurred at several locations in Morris County on the following dates and times:
- LegionsCon, a collectors’ convention, at the Hanover Marriott, 1401 NJ-10 E., Whippany, from 8:50 a.m. to 11 a.m. Nov. 6 and 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7.
- Sonesta Simply Suites Parsippany Morris Plains, 100 Candlewood Drive, Morris Plains, 9 p.m. November 6 to noon November 7 and 5:45 p.m. November 7 to 12:45 p.m. November 11.
- Walgreens Pharmacy, 203 South St., Morristown, between 4:40 p.m. and 7:40 p.m., November 7.
- Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center Emergency Department, 100 Madison Ave., Morristown, from 10:50 p.m. Nov. 10 to 1:30 a.m. Nov. 11.
The Health Ministry said it was working with local authorities to conduct contact tracing and notify people who may have been exposed. Exposed people could develop symptoms until December 4.
Dr. Katharine Clouser of Hackensack University Medical Center noted that people infected with measles can spread the virus before symptoms become apparent.
“It’s just a little scary that people can, you know, be so contagious before they even show the real symptoms,” Clouser said.
As of Friday, no additional associated cases had been identified in New Jersey, according to the department. The agency said the state is not currently experiencing an outbreak of measles, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as three or more linked cases.
Health officials Friday urged residents, especially parents, guardians, health care providers and caregivers, to be aware of measles symptoms and ensure they are up to date on measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations. According to the ministry, two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective in preventing infections and outbreaks.
Symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and a rash that usually appears three to five days after symptoms start. The rash usually starts on the face at the hairline and spreads to the neck, torso, arms, legs, and feet. The disease can also cause serious complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. It can also lead to miscarriage, premature delivery, or low birth weight during pregnancy.
Nationally, measles activity remains high. According to the CDC, 5,182 confirmed cases of measles and 43 new outbreaks in 47 jurisdictions have been reported in the United States this year as of November 6.
The Pan American Health Organization will soon decide whether the United States will lose its measles elimination status after more than two decades, a concern for local health providers.
“The problem is, as we continue to lose elimination status, people can no longer rely on the community immunity that we had before,” said Katharine Clouser of Hackensack University Medical Center. “So having that herd immunity for people who are too young to get the vaccine, or maybe for those who are immunocompromised and can’t get it, can’t rely on those around us.”
Health officials have stressed that vaccination remains the most effective protection against measles and noted that the virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
ALSO READ | New York reports first measles-associated death in state in more than 30 years
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