Bergen Officials Monitoring Measles Outbreak In Rockland County

County officials are monitoring the measles outbreak in nearby Rockland County carefully, but are not overly concerned about the disease spreading here.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day declared a countywide state of emergency Wednesday due to the ongoing measles outbreak.

Anyone who is not vaccinated and younger than 18 is barred from public places in Rockland County until the state of emergency expires in 29 days or until they receive the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.

Bergen County health officials are coordinating with the Rockland County Department of Health about the outbreak.

"From what we know, nothing has been spread here," said Bergen County Freeholder Board Chairwoman Germaine M. Ortiz. "Since there was a state of emergency declared, and we did have a case of measles reported in February, we are staying on top of everything."

Hansel F. Asmar, the Bergen County health officer, spoke with the freeholders about the outbreak Thursday. Asmar could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Ortiz said 92 percent of Bergen County residents have been inoculated against measles, Ortiz said.

"This is an opportunity for everyone in our community to do the right thing for their neighbors and come together," Day said in a statement. "We must do everything in our power to end this outbreak and protect the health of those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and that of children too young to be vaccinated."

A New Jersey resident was infected with measles and visited two locations in Hillsdale, the New Jersey State Department of Health warned.

Related: Measles Case Reported In Bergen County: State

That person visited Rockland County, New York, Ortiz said.

That person could have exposed others to the infection between Feb. 17 and Feb. 25, state officials warned.

"From what we know, nothing has spread," Ortiz said. "I'm glad that our inoculation rate is so high. It helps when situations like this occur."

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus that is spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected people. People first develop a fever, then may have a cough, runny nose and watery eyes, followed by appearance of a rash, health officials said.

People are considered infectious from four days before to four days after the appearance of the rash.

An individual may have exposed Bergen County residents to measles last year.

Individuals are considered protected or immune to measles if they were born before 1957, have received two doses of measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, have had measles disease, or have a lab test confirming immunity, health official said.

More information about measles can be found here.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com