Newark Airport

By Sam Barron From Daily Voice

A person with measles visited Newark Airport last week, the New Jersey Health Department said.

The health department said the person, who was not a New Jersey resident, visited Terminal B on Sunday, Oct. 19 between 2:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. while infected with measles.

Anyone who may have come in contact should ensure they are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella shots.

Measles symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a rash that usually appears between three and five days after symptoms begin. The rash usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, torso, arms, legs, and feet. Measles can also cause serious complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and can lead to miscarriage in pregnant people, premature birth, or a low-birth-weight baby.

Anyone who suspects an exposure or illness should call their local health department or a health care provider before going to any medical office or emergency department. Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection. 

The health department said it is working in collaboration with local health officials on ongoing contact tracing and on efforts to notify people who might have been exposed and to identify additional exposures that may have occurred.

Potentially exposed individuals, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as Sunday, Nov. 9.

No additional cases in New Jersey have been identified.