N.J. Restaurant Patrons May Have Been Exposed to Measles
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Health officials in New Jersey are warning people who’ve recently eaten at a popular Livingston restaurant that they may have been exposed to measles.
On Sunday, April 10, two young women from France – who were not vaccinated against measles – attended a party at Eppes Essen restaurant between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Three days later, the women began developing symptoms of measles and sought medical treatment at Saint Clare's Hospital in Denville.
Officials are recommending anyone who was at the restaurant on that day, during that time period, to immediately contact their doctor, especially if you have never had the measles or haven’t been vaccinated.
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Measles is a very contagious illness that is spread by contact with droplets from the nose, mouth, or throat of an infected person, the National Institutes of Health said on its website. Symptoms usually begin 8 to 12 days after you are exposed to the virus. Those symptoms include cough, fever, light sensitivity, muscle pain, sore throat, bloodshot eyes and a rash that appears 3 to 5 days after the first signs of the illness start to appear.
The worst year for measles was 1958, according to modern public health records. More than 763,000 cases were reported that year, including 552 deaths. Outbreaks in the early 1990s led to a revision of vaccination guidelines to include children younger than school age.
Since measles vaccinations began in the early 1960s, cases have dramatically declined in the U.S.
If you're concerned that you are not up to date with your measles vaccinations, check with your primary care physician. All it takes is a simple blood test.
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Click here to read more from the NIH.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.