Measles detected in North Jersey wastewater sample
By: Scott Fallon
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... The measle virus was detected in a sample of wastewater taken at a treatment plant hat serves a large portion of North Jersey, suggesting that there is one or several positive cases in the region, health officials said March 26. [2026]
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No outbreak has been reported in the counties served by the treatment plant: Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson and Union.
..... A wastewater sample cannot be traced back to its original source so it is unclear to state Health Department officials how many people in those counties may be infected. The virus could have also originated from a traveler since the plant in Essex County takes waste from Newark Liberty International Airport.
..... The Health Department did not identify the treatment plant, but its description matches the Passaic Valley Sewage Commission's plant in Newark which serves 48 municipalities in those counties.
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The sample, which was taken March 20, [2026] is part of a routine analysis of wastewater for viruses and bacteria that cause communicable disease. it is used as an early warning system for outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. another sample taken three days later was negative.
..... Decades after ti was declared eradicated, measles has surged in certain ares of the U.S. as vaccination levels have dropped, threatening herd immunity. As of March 19, [2026] there have been 1,487 confirmed measles cases reported in the U.S. this year, [2026] according to the Centers for Disease Control.
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New Jersey has seen a number of cases in the past two years from airplane travelers passing through Newark to children being borough into an emergency department. But there have been outbreaks. Health Department officials have said.
..... Vaccine rates have declined in recent years in New Jersey, with 92.8% of kindergartners fully vaccinated in the 2024-2025 school year, down from 96.8% in the 2013-2014 school year, according to state data
Measles symptoms
..... Measles is highly transmissible. It can cause high fever, cough, runny nose, red, water eyes and a rash that typically appears three to five days after other symptoms begin. The rash usually will first show up as flat red spots on the face at the hairline and spread downward, teh Center for Disease Control and Prevention says.
..... If you suspect you may have measles, health officials ask that you call your doctor or hospital before arriving so they can make preparations to avoid and spreading.