Bergen County Resident Brought Measles Into Hospital Emergency Room

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — The state of New Jersey said Friday that a Bergen County resident had a confirmed case of measles following recent international travel.

Now, the state is asking anyone who was in contact with that person to contact a health provider to get checked out.

Specifically, anyone who was in the Englewood Hospital Emergency Department on Feb. 9, between 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., should contact a health provider.

Someone infected could develop symptoms as late as March 6, the state said.

Is It Spreading In New Jersey?

A measles vaccine was licensed for public use starting in 1963. The Americas were declared free of endemic measles by 2016, but suffered a setback two years later due to gaps in vaccines in other countries that led to outbreaks there, scientists say.

In America, most children are vaccinated at a young age. Because the disease is so contagious, it requires at least 95 percent of a local population to be vaccinated in order to prevent its spread, health officials say.

The virus can cause respiratory and neurological problems, pneumonia, vomiting, and other symptoms.

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 state of New Jersey said.

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.

The state said, "Those who may have been exposed or who suspect illness should call their health care provider first before arriving at any facility so that necessary infection prevention precautions can be taken to protect other patients and staff. NJDOH 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."

They noted, "The virus spreads easily through the air when someone coughs or sneezes and can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area. People can also get sick when they come in contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person.

"Individuals at risk include those who have not been fully vaccinated or have not had measles in the past," they noted.

As of Friday, no additional associated cases have been identified in New Jersey, they said. An outbreak is defined as three or more related cases by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But there have been outbreaks in other states recently.

National Outbreaks In 2025

There have been two outbreaks in America this year as of this writing, including 14 measles cases besides the New Jersey case, according to numbers updated on Feb. 6 (which was before the New Jersey case was reported). Cases are updated only once per month for now. See the national updates here.

The 14 cases were reported in five states: Alaska, Georgia, New York, Rhode Island, and Texas.

The state's Department of Health encourages all residents to stay up to date on routine vaccinations and especially recommends that New Jersey residents planning to travel, regardless of destination, are up to date on MMR shots, administered in two doses.

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