Urgent warning as thousands of passengers at major US airport exposed to world's most infectious disease
Thousands of passengers at one of America's busiest airports may have been exposed to the world's most infectious disease during peak holiday travel.
Thousands of passengers at one of America's busiest airports may have been exposed to measles during peak holiday travel, health officials warned.
The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) issued an alert warning travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport of potential exposure to measles, the world's most infectious disease.
'(NJDOH) is alerting residents about potential exposures associated with a newly identified case of measles in a non-NJ resident who traveled in transit through Newark Liberty International Airport while infectious,' the department wrote.
Anyone who visited Newark Airport's terminals B and C between 7am and 7pm on December 19 may have been exposed, according to the alert.
Health officials noted that the infected individuals' exact whereabouts at that time are not available, but they are conducting contact tracing.
NJDOH advised that if you suspect you have been exposed or are infected, you should call your local health department or medical provider before visiting them.
'Potentially exposed individuals, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as January 2, 2026,' the department wrote.
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, according to NJODH.
Thousands of passengers at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport (pictured) may have been exposed to measles on December 19
Symptoms of the world's most infectious disease include a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes and a rash
Measles can also cause serious complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and can lead to miscarriage in pregnant women, premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby.
As of December 26, 11 measles cases have been reported in New Jersey in 2025.
Across the US, cases of the measles, the world's most infectious disease that had been declared eliminated in the US in 2000, continue to grow.
The spread was spurred by a deadly outbreak in Texas earlier this year amongst a largely unvaccinated group in a religious community.