HEALTH

Measles outbreak in Ocean, Passaic counties is over, officials say

Stacey Barchenger
Asbury Park Press

A measles outbreak that sickened 33 people in Ocean and Passaic counties is over, officials announced on Wednesday.

No new cases have been identified in the last 42 days, two incubation periods since the last known contagious case and long enough that the Ocean County Health Department says the outbreak has ended.

A total of 33 measles cases were diagnosed since October, according to health officials.

Thirty Ocean County residents were affected and three were reported in a single family in Passaic County, though those cases were connected to the exposures in Ocean County.

Places of possible exposure included doctor's offices, restaurants and other businesses, mostly in Lakewood. CHEMED Health Center in Lakewood administered nearly 3,000 doses of the measles vaccination during the outbreak, CHEMED leaders said. 

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Health care experts said the outbreak was the worst in the state in decades and repeatedly urged residents to get vaccinated. 

"It definitely takes a team effort to get through an outbreak of this extent," said Daniel E. Regenye, Ocean County's public health coordinator. "We received tremendous support from the community-at-large and partnered with pediatricians, schools, administrators, health care providers, the faith-based community and many other local groups throughout the outbreak and each one played a vital role."

Though the outbreak is over, "sporadic" cases of measles are possible, health officials say. Residents should remain vigilant for symptoms — such as a fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes or a rash of tiny, red spots — and contact their healthcare provider if symptoms do appear.

Residents who received a first dose of the measles vaccination during the outbreak should ensure they return for a second dose, which is critical to preventing another outbreak, a news release from CHEMED says.

While New Jersey is breathing a sigh of relief, outbreaks in New York continue to climb, albeit slowly. More than 100 cases have been confirmed in Rockland County, New York, and there are an additional 58 in Brooklyn. 

All of the outbreaks are connected to people who either traveled to, or visited from, Israel last fall. An outbreak there has sickened more than 2,500 and caused multiple fatalities.

Stacey Barchenger: @sbarchenger; 732-427-0114; sbarchenger@gannettnj.com