New Jersey officials warn of measles exposure at Newark airport

News brief

An adult infected with measles traveled through Newark International Airport while infectious, New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) officials said yesterday.

The person, who is not a resident of New Jersey, potentially exposed fellow travelers at Newark and other places in Bergen County in the last week of March.

"Potentially exposed individuals, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as April 17, 2025," NJDOH said in a statement. "No additional associated cases in New Jersey have been identified.”

Michigan resident traveled abroad

The nonresident is an adult from Kent County, Michigan, who had recently traveled abroad as well as to New Jersey. The case is Kent County's first since 2013, and Michigan's second case of 2025.

Potentially exposed individuals, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as April 17, 2025.

"Measles is a highly contagious disease that continues to circulate both in the U.S. and globally," said Adam London, MD, the health officer at the Kent County Health Department. "This case is a reminder of how quickly measles can spread and the importance of vaccination. We urge residents to check their immunization status and to get vaccinated, especially if planning to travel internationally or into areas with active measles outbreaks."

As cases rise nationally, 2 infants die of pertussis in Louisiana

News brief

Jim Wappes

Bordetella pertussis bacteria — CDC / Sarah Bailey Cutchin

Just weeks after two state surgeons general said they will no longer promote vaccinations, state officials announced that two Louisiana children have died of pertussis, or whooping cough—a vaccine-preventable disease—in the past 6 months, CNN reported yesterday.

The news comes as Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, MD, confirmed 110 pertussis cases in Louisiana as of last week, compared with 154 for all of 2024.

Cases are also rising nationally. Officials confirmed more than 35,000 infections last year, the most in more than a decade, CNN reports. Ten people died, six of them less than 1 year old. And the country has seen about 6,600 cases already in 2025, almost four times the number at this point last year.

Declining vaccination rates

A chief cause is declining US childhood vaccination rates in the past 5 years.

"When you start to see these outbreaks … it tends to be as a result of that increased circulation of the microbe in the community, as well as populations with no immunity or reduced immunity that are susceptible to the infection," said Lisa Morici, PhD, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Tulane University School of Medicine.

When you cast aspersions or doubt about the safety and efficacy of one vaccine, I think it really has a ripple effect for all vaccines.

Experts are urging pertussis vaccination, and say that confusion over immunization messaging isn't helping. "When you cast aspersions or doubt about the safety and efficacy of one vaccine, I think it really has a ripple effect for all vaccines," said Jennifer Avegno, MD, director of the New Orleans Health Department, referring to the move to no longer promote vaccinations in the state.