Measles Cases Now 4 In Ocean County 'Outbreak,' Officials Say

LAKEWOOD, NJ — Four cases of measles have been confirmed in Ocean County, and the state Department of Health is now labeling it an outbreak.

Health Department Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal announced two newly confirmed cases on Thursday, and on Friday morning, the Ocean County Health Department confirmed an additional case had been diagnosed. All three new cases are people who developed symptoms after being exposed to a man who became infected measles while traveling internationally.

The three new cases could have exposed others to infection between Oct. 25 and Oct. 30, a statement from the Health Department said. The first case of measles was reported Oct. 24, but that man had exposed others before the case was confirmed.

"The Department of Health is considering this an outbreak of measles in the community," the statement said.

Daniel Regenye, public health coordinator for the Ocean County Health Department, said officials are urging those who may have been exposed to call health providers for advice.

Do not simply show up at the hospital or doctor's office if you believe you have been exposed because you could then expose others who may be at risk, he said. Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection.

Regenye said one of the pediatricians in the area held a clinic outdoors to help minimize risks because measles is so highly contagious.

"It spreads easily through the air and is very hardy," he said. The measles virus can remain active on surfaces for two hours, and if someone contagious is in a room, it can spread through the whole building, depending on the HVAC system, he said. Measles can 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.

Measles can take up to 21 days to appear; those exposed to the first man, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as Nov. 11. Anyone exposed to any of the three new cases could develop symptoms as late as Nov. 20, the health department said.

Anyone who was at any of the following locations on the specified dates who has not been vaccinated or who has not had measles is considered exposed and at risk:

• Schul Satmar, 405 Forest Avenue, Lakewood; Oct. 13-Oct. from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day
• Eat a Pita, 116 Clifton Ave, Lakewood; Oct. 15 between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• CHEMED Health Center, 1771 Madison Ave, Lakewood; Oct. 17 between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Oct. 18 between 10:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• NPGS, 231 Main St, Lakewood; Oct. 25 between 9 a.m. and noon, and Oct. 29 between 2:15 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.
• Pizza Plus, 241 4th St, Lakewood; Oct. 28 between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Regenye said the county and state health departments are working together with others in the community to identify and notify people who might have been exposed during the time the individuals were infectious.

The state Health Department urges residents to remain vigilant for any symptoms of measles, including rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. 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.

What to do if you think you may have been exposed:

• DO NOT go to the emergency room or your health provider — CALL FIRST. Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection. Anyone who has not been vaccinated or has not had measles is at risk if they are exposed.
• MAKE SURE your immunizations and your family's immunizations are up to date. Two doses of measles vaccine are about 97 percent effective in preventing measles, state epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan said.

“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," Tan said.

Ocean County isn't the only area faced with a measles outbreak; New York's Rockland County has 46 confirmed measles cases and nine more suspected. County officials there have been holding free vaccine clinics and are beginning to offer immunizations for babies as young as 6 months to quell the outbreak there.

The Rockland County outbreak also has prompted health department requirements that schools with less than a 70 percent MMR vaccination rate bar attendance by students who are not immunized or who are under-vaccinated until 21 days pass after the last confirmed measles case in Rockland. (READ MORE: Measles Outbreak: More Cases, More Clinics In Rockland)

If you are 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.

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.

Common complications are ear infections and diarrhea. More severe complications include pneumonia and encephalitis; as many as one out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children. One in every 1,000 children who get measles will develop encephalitis (swelling of the brain) that can lead to convulsions and can leave the child deaf or with intellectual disability.

For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it.

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