Traveler Brought Measles To Newark Airport On Christmas Eve: DOH

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey authorities have issued a measles alert for travelers who passed through Newark Airport on Christmas Eve. Commuters who were in the airport on Monday, Dec. 24 between noon and 4 p.m. may have been exposed to the disease and if infected, could develop symptoms as late as Jan. 14, Department of Health (NJDOH) officials said.

Friday’s notice from the NJDOH is the fifth such alert sent this year (read about the previous cases below).

According to state health officials, on Dec. 24, an international traveler who has been confirmed to have measles arrived in Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport on a flight from Brussels. The individual was infectious on that day and may have traveled to other areas of the airport.

New Jersey residents identified as “potentially exposed” on the ill individual’s flights will be notified by their local health department, state officials said.

“Anyone who suspects an exposure is urged to call a health care provider before going to a medical office or emergency department,” NJDOH officials said. “Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection.”

New Jersey Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal said that the Christmas Eve “confirmed case and exposure” at Newark Airport is unrelated to an ongoing measles outbreak in Ocean County, which includes 30 Ocean County cases and three Passaic County cases.

According to NJDOH officials, measles symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. It can cause serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). Measles infection in a pregnant woman can lead to miscarriage, premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby. Measles is easily spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. People can also get sick when they come in contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person.

Additional information on what to do if you've been exposed to measles is available at: www.state.nj.us/health/cd/documents/topics/measles/measles_exposure_guidance_public.pdf

For more information about measles, contact your health care provider or visit the New Jersey Department of Health website at www.state.nj.us/health/cd/topics/measles.shtml

2018 MEASLES ALERTS AT NEWARK AIRPORT

In October, the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) issued an alert about "potential measles exposure" at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday after an international traveler from Israel was confirmed to have the "highly contagious disease."

According to the DOH, the infected traveler arrived in Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport on a flight from Tel Aviv on Friday, Sept. 28.

• See related article: Measles Alert At Newark Airport; Traveler Continued To NY

In May, the DOH issued an alert that travelers who passed through Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 2 may have possibly been exposed to measles.

"In two unrelated incidents, an individual with measles stopped briefly in the state on April 30 while on a tour bus traveling from Niagara Falls, New York to Washington DC, and a Bergen County resident developed measles after contact with an international traveler who was ill with measles," DOH officials stated.

Locations that may have been exposed included sites in Englewood and Columbia, in addition to the airport, officials said.

• See related article: Newark Airport Measles Alert Is 3rd This Year

In March, the NJDOH released a public health advisory that an international traveler from Brussels with a confirmed case of the "highly contagious disease" passed through the busy airport on their way to Memphis, Tennessee.

The suspected carrier, a young child, was reportedly infectious on that day and may have traveled to other areas of the airport, officials said.

• See related article: Measles Alert At Newark Airport; Child Was 'Infectious,' DOH Says

In January, the NJDOH issued a precautionary alert in connection with a person with measles who traveled through Newark Liberty International Airport.

The source of the alert, an Indiana University student, had a "confirmed case" of the highly contagious disease when she traveled through the airport, authorities said.

• See related article: New Jersey Measles Alert; College Student Flew Into Newark

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File Photo: Jeffrey Milstein/Shutterstock (Newark Airport)