A warning from the New Jersey Department of Health alerts residents about a possible measles exposure.
State health authorities said a Monmouth County resident who returned from international travel has contracted the highly contagious disease.
That individual may have exposed others in five locations in Monmouth and Union counties, including the longshoreman's strike in Elizabeth, before going to the emergency room at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune City.
State health officials recommend that anyone who visited the following locations during these specified dates and times may have been exposed and should contact a healthcare provider immediately to discuss possible exposure and risk of developing measles.
⚫️ Livoti's Old World Market - 200 Mounts Corner Drive, Freehold (Sept. 30, 2024, between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.)
⚫️ El Rancho Mexican Restaurant - 28 W. Main Street, Freehold (Oct. 1, 2024, between 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.)
⚫️ International Longshoreman Association Strike, Elizabeth Chassis Depot - 1510 S. Bay Avenue, Elizabeth, and the area near the "Welcome to Elizabeth Terminal (Oct. 1-3, all day).
⚫️ Atlantic Health Immediate Care - 479 Route 520, Suite A103, Marlboro (Oct. 6., 2024 between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.)
⚫️ Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Emergency Department - 1945, Route 33, Neptune City (Oct. 7., 2024 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
Potentially exposed individuals could develop symptoms as late as Oct. 29, health officials said. As of Oct. 10., no more cases have been identified.
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, arms, torso, legs, and feet, state health officials said.
NJDOH is working with local health officials on ongoing contact tracing and efforts to notify people who may have been exposed. They are urging everyone to be aware of the symptoms and to stay up to date with measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shots.