HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A Hudson County resident with measles — a highly contagious and sometimes fatal virus — recently took trains that run through North Jersey and New York City, state health officials said Friday.

The state has been announcing such cases so that the public can get treated early if they have the disease, as the number of people getting vaccinated against the once-eradicated virus has declined. Earlier this year, two children and an adult died during an outbreak of the virus in Texas.

More than 94 percent of those testing positive for the virus in that outbreak were confirmed to be unvaccinated, that state said.

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The state of New Jersey said late Friday that the most recent infected person had been in close contact with a non-New Jersey resident who had the virus.

“Because the individual diagnosed with measles traveled on public transportation while potentially infectious,” the state noted, “NJDOH recommends that anyone who traveled on the following routes, only during the specified dates and times, may have been exposed to measles.”

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They gave these dates and times:

Dates And Times Of Possible Exposure

Location: NJ Transit Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, Eighth Street, Bayonne to Hoboken branch

  • Date And Time: Aug. 13, 14, 15, 2025, 9-11:30 a.m. and 6-9 p.m.

Location: Eighth Street Light Rail Station – Bayonne

  • Date And Time: Aug. 13, 14, 15, 2025, 9-11 a.m. and 7-9 p.m.

Location: PATH Newark-World Trade Center Line

  • Date And Time: Aug. 13, 14, 15, 2025, 9:15-11:45 a.m. and 5:45-8:30 p.m.

Location: Exchange Place Station, Jersey City

  • Date And Time: Aug. 13, 14, 15, 2025, 9:15-11:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Potentially exposed individuals, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as Sept. 11.

The state said, “Anyone who suspects an exposure or illness should call their local health department or a health care provider before going to any medical office or emergency department. Special arrangements can be made for evaluation while also protecting other patients and medical staff from possible infection. Please do not visit a medical facility without calling ahead.”

The case was unrelated to other recent cases, and the state is not experiencing an outbreak, officials said. An outbreak is defined as three or more related cases.

Measles was virtually eradicated in North and South America by 2016, due to childhood vaccines that have been in use since 1963. However, the progress was set back in 2018 due to gaps in vaccines in other countries that led to outbreaks, scientists say.

In America, most children are vaccinated at a young age. Because the disease is so contagious, it requires at least 95 percent of a local population to be vaccinated in order to prevent its spread, health officials say.

New Jersey’s vaccination level recently dropped to 92 percent, an official said.

What To Watch For

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 state said, “The rash usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, torso, arms, legs, and feet. Measles can also cause serious complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and can lead to miscarriage in pregnant people, premature birth, or a low-birth-weight baby.”

Worst Year Since 1992

Nationally, measles cases have soared to the highest levels reported since 1992, eight years before the disease was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, said the state.

The virus spreads easily through the air when someone coughs or sneezes and can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area.

Individuals at risk include those who have not been fully vaccinated or have not had measles in the past.

The MMR vaccine is administered in two doses, and protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, as well as their complications.

The state encouraged all residents to stay up to date on routine vaccinations, including MMR shots.

Find out more here: NJDOH Measles Webpage

PRIOR REPORTING: State Of NJ Gives Update On Bergen County Measles Cases, Herd Immunity

RELATED: New Measles Cases Hit 25-Year-High

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