Measles warning in NJ: Virus detected near major airport raises red flag

🔺Measles virus detected in NJ wastewater sample from Essex County plant

✈️ Area includes Newark Airport and parts of 5 counties

🔺No new confirmed cases yet; officials urge vaccination as protection

TRENTON – State health officials have confirmed that the measles virus was detected in a recent wastewater sample from one treatment plant in New Jersey.

The sample was taken March 20 from a plant in Essex County that serves areas of Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Union, and Essex counties — including Newark Liberty International Airport.

It was one of six locations tested by WastewaterSCAN, a commercial company.

At this time, no clinical measles cases in New Jersey residents have been identified, state health officials said on Friday.

The last confirmed case in a state resident was in October 2025.

WastewaterSCAN is a national wastewater monitoring program that partners with wastewater treatment plants in 40 states to track respiratory viruses — including flu, RSV and COVID — as well as diseases like measles and norovirus.

A sample taken three days later at the same site was negative.

Read More: Newark Airport measles alert raises concern for holiday travelers

How wastewater surveillance detects viruses early

Wastewater surveillance detects viruses from infected people, by sampling untreated sewage entering wastewater treatment plants.

It can serve as an early warning system for infectious diseases.

The measles test that was used detects only “wild-type” measles virus — not the vaccine strain.

What the detection means for NJ residents

Wastewater detections cannot be directly linked to individuals — but the positive result indicates at least one person with measles was in the region around the time the same was taken.

Since September, the state's Public Health and Environmental Laboratories has been routinely testing for measles in wastewater samples around the state.

Further testing on additional samples will be done next week by both the state lab and WastewaterSCAN.

Vaccination remains key protection against measles

Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air and through close contact with an infected person.

Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97% effective against measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and global health experts.

The likelihood of an unvaccinated person getting measles, if exposed,  is also very high at 90%.

State health officials urged the public that the best way to protect against measles is to be up to date with the MMR vaccine.

Anyone traveling internationally should be fully vaccinated before traveling.

Babies, ages 6–11 months old should get one dose of the MMR vaccine before travel and should get two more doses after their first birthday, according to professional healthcare standards.

Up to 40% of measles cases experience complications — of which the most common is pneumonia, as well as ear infections and diarrhea.

Other risks include acute encephalitis (brain swelling), croup, and severe dehydration.

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