December 29, 2025
2 min read
Key references:
- Travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport on Dec. 12 may have been exposed.
- Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases and can linger in the air for 2 hours.
Health officials in New Jersey warned that travelers at a busy airport may have been exposed to measles.
The New Jersey Department of Health said Monday that a person with an infectious case of measles traveled through Newark Liberty International Airport on Dec. 12.
A passenger with measles traveled through Newark Liberty International Airport on Dec. 12. Image: Adobe Stock
Specifically, the health department warned that anyone who was in terminals B and C between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on that date may have been exposed to measles and could develop symptoms as late as Jan. 2 — 21 days after exposure, the maximum incubation time for measles.
The department apologized for incorrectly identifying the potential exposure date as Dec. 19 in a previous alert.
Symptoms of measles include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes and a rash that usually appears 3 to 5 days after symptoms begin, the department noted. It said anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to measles and is experiencing symptoms should contact their local health department prior to seeking care.
Additional details of the person’s movements were not immediately available, according to the department. Officials described the traveler as a non-New Jersey resident.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, with one person capable of infecting up to 18 susceptible people. The New Jersey health department noted that the virus can linger in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person has left.
“Individuals at risk include those who have not been fully vaccinated or have not had measles in the past,” the department said in a press release.
Measles cases in the United States hit a 33-year high in 2025, driven by a large outbreak in Texas and declining vaccination rates. As of Dec. 23, there have been 2,012 confirmed cases in 43 states this year, according to the CDC.
Since 2000, when the U.S. was declared free of endemic measles, each outbreak of the disease has been linked to international travel. The U.S. is on the brink of potentially losing its elimination status, which happens when an outbreak lasts for more than a year.
[Editor’s note: Learn more at Healio’s clinical guidance module on measles .]
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