A Somerset County resident who just returned from overseas travel has contracted measles and could have exposed others while visiting a hospital in central Jersey last week, the state Health Department announced Thursday.
The unidentified patient visited the emergency room at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center on Saturday, June 1 from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to the state announcement. The hospital is located at 1 Plainsboro Road, Plainsboro Township.
There were no other cases reported as of Wednesday, the announcement said. The virus is easily spread by an infected person talking, coughing or sneezing.
Measles symptoms typically emerge three to five days after exposure, although the health department said signs of the illness may show as late as June 26.
The health department did not identify the country visited by the infected person.
From January 1 to May 30, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been notified of 146 confirmed U.S. cases of measles across 21 states. Many of these cases reported are linked to international travel and are among people who had not received MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. Children under 5 accounted for 65 of these cases, the CDC said.
Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a red rash that begins at the hairline. In serious cases, infected people may develop pneumonia and encephalitis. Pregnant women may miscarry or deliver a low birth-weight baby, the health department said.
The vaccine, administered in two doses, is mandatory for children who attend school or day care centers in New Jersey, unless their parent or guardian seeks a medical or religious waiver.
For more information on measles, consult the state health department website.
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Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio.
