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Measles case in Passaic County, New Jersey: What to know

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Published  August 2, 2025 2:33pm EDT
Health
FOX 29 Philadelphia

The Brief

    • The New Jersey Department of Health reported a new measles case in a Passaic County resident who recently traveled internationally.
    • The individual may have exposed others to the virus at Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains on July 31 and August 1.
    • The state is not currently experiencing a measles outbreak, which is defined as three or more related cases.

A new case of measles has been confirmed in a New Jersey resident and health officials are urging residents to stay up to date on their measles vaccinations. 

What we know:

The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is alerting residents to the case found in a resident of Passaic County who caught the virus while traveling internationally. This case is not related to other recent cases reported in July in Hudson and Ocean counties, according to NJDOH.

New Jersey is not considered to be experiencing a measles outbreak, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines as three or more related cases. Measles is a highly contagious virus with symptoms that include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a rash that begins on the face and spreads downward.

Potential Exposure Locations:

The health department has identified several locations where people may have been exposed to the virus. Anyone who visited the following locations during these specified times may have been exposed:

Chilton Medical Center, Emergency Department

  • July 31, 2025, 7:00 PM through August 1, 2025, 3:30 AM

Chilton Medical Center, Main Hospital, 5th Floor, Intensive Care Unit

  • August 1, 2025, between 1:30 AM and 12:30 PM

The NJDOH is urging anyone who suspects they may have been exposed to call their local health department or a health care provider before visiting any medical office or emergency department. Potentially exposed individuals, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as August 24, 2025.

The NJDOH is working with local health officials on contact tracing and efforts to notify people who might have been exposed. Since the beginning of 2025, New Jersey has had a total of six confirmed cases of measles. In 2024, seven cases were reported.

Nationally, measles cases have reached the highest levels since 1992, with the CDC reporting 1,333 cases across 40 jurisdictions as of July 30, 2025.

What you can do:

Health officials are urging residents to stay up to date on their MMR vaccine and to call ahead to a medical facility if they suspect they have been exposed.

The MMR vaccine is described as the most effective way to protect against the virus, according to NJDOH.

The Source: This article contains information provided by the New Jersey Department of Health.

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