Public Health Alert: Potential Measles Exposure

The Middle-Brook Regional Health Commission (MBRHC) and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) would like to make you aware of a newly identified confirmed case of measles in a non-NJ resident who potentially exposed NJ residents at Newark Liberty International Airport while infectious. Individuals – especially parents, guardians, health care providers, and caregivers – are urged to be aware of the symptoms of this highly contagious virus and to stay up to date with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shots.

Anyone who visited the following location, only during the specified dates and times, may have been exposed to measles:

• Newark Liberty International Airport, Terminal B and Terminal C*
  • Date & Time: December 12, 2025, between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM

*Information on the whereabouts of the individual between 7:00 AM in Terminal B and 7:00 PM in Terminal C is currently not available. Any updates will be posted at nj.gov/health.

Potentially exposed individuals, if infected would be expected to develop symptoms of measles as late as January 2, 2026.

As of December 29, no additional associated cases in New Jersey have been identified. Individuals at risk include those who have not been fully vaccinated or have not had measles in the past.

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.

If you suspect you or your child is experiencing symptoms of measles, call your health care provider BEFORE arriving at the facility so that the provider can take precautions.

Since the beginning of 2025, New Jersey has had a total of 11 confirmed cases of measles reported. Nationally, measles cases have soared to the highest levels reported since 1992, eight years before the disease was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. According to the CDC, as of December 23, 2025, a total of 2,012 cases across 44 jurisdictions have been reported this year.

We are urging individuals to stay up to date with measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shots. The best way to prevent measles is to remain up to date on all measles vaccinations, especially when traveling abroad. For more information on measles, visit: nj.gov/health/measles or aap.org.

To download a PDF version of the Measles Public Health Alert, click here.