TRENTON — The New Jersey Department of Health is warning residents about a measles case in an individual who could have possibly exposed others to the infection while in Burlington and Camden counties. The individual developed symptoms after international travel.
The Department recommends that anyone who visited the locations listed below during the specified dates/times should contact a health provider immediately to discuss potential exposure and risk of developing the illness. If you have been exposed, you are at risk if you have not been vaccinated or have not had measles. Potentially exposed individuals, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as July 11.
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. It can cause serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). Measles infection in a pregnant woman can lead to miscarriage, premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby. Measles is easily spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. People can also get sick when they come in contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person.
If you develop symptoms of measles, the Department recommends that you call a health care provider before going to a medical office or emergency department. Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection.
Anyone who visited the following locations may have been exposed to measles:
- LifeTime Mount Laurel, 3939 Church Rd., Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
- June 12 between 6 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
- June 13 between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- June 14 between 6 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- June 15 between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- Cooper University Family & Community Medical Center in Camden, 1865 Harrison Ave. Camden, NJ, 08105 on June 14 between 2:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
- Virtua Express Urgent Care – Moorestown, 401 Young Ave, Suite 108, Moorestown, NJ, 08057 on June 16 between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
- Virtua Marlton Hospital, 90 Brick Rd, Marlton, NJ, 08053 on June 17 between 8:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Virtua is in the process of contacting those individuals who were potentially exposed at its facilities.
The Department is working with local health officials to identify and notify people who might have been exposed during the time the individual was infectious.
“Two doses of measles vaccine are about 97 percent effective in preventing measles,” said Dr. Christina Tan, state epidemiologist. “We urge everyone to check to make sure they and their family members are up-to-date on measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, it protects others around you who are too young to get the vaccine or can’t receive it for medical reasons.”
“If you’re planning an international trip, the World Health Organization recommends that adults or adolescents unsure of their immune status get a dose of measles vaccine before traveling,” Dr. Tan added.
Before international travel:
- Infants 6 through 11 months of age should receive one dose of MMR vaccine. Infants who get one dose of MMR vaccine before their first birthday should get two more doses (one dose at 12 through 15 months of age and another dose separated by at least 28 days).
- Children 1 year and older should receive two doses of MMR vaccine, separated by at least 28 days.
- Teenagers and adults who do not have evidence of immunity against measles should get two doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days.
For more information about measles, contact your health care provider, or visit the New Jersey Department of Health’s measles webpage, which includes Frequently Asked Questions. The CDC has additional information.
