Measles alert issued for East and West African travellers transiting Newark Airport

January 3, 2026 in Travel & Tourism by Editor

Travellers from East and West Africa who transited through Newark Liberty International Airport during the December holiday rush have been urged to remain alert after US health officials warned of possible measles exposure.

East and West African travellers who passed through Newark Liberty International Airport in the United States during peak holiday travel have been advised to monitor their health following a measles exposure alert issued by US authorities.

According to a report published by the UK’s Daily Mail on December 29, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) confirmed that a contagious individual travelled through Terminals B and C at Newark Airport on December 19, between 7am and 7pm, potentially exposing thousands of passengers during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Newark Liberty is a key transit hub for travellers from East Africa, including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia, as well as West African markets such as Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal. Many passengers use the airport to connect onward to African capitals via New York-area gateways, making the alert relevant to travellers returning home after the festive season.

Health officials said the exact movements of the infected individual within the terminals were not known, but contact tracing was underway. Travellers who may have been exposed could develop symptoms up to January 2, 2026, and are urged to contact health providers by phone before seeking in-person care if symptoms appear.

Measles typically begins with high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by a distinctive rash several days later. While often perceived as a childhood illness, measles can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, brain inflammation, pregnancy loss, premature birth and low-birth-weight infants.

The alert comes amid a sharp resurgence of measles in the United States. As of late December, 11 cases had been recorded in New Jersey in 2025, while nationwide infections have risen to more than 2,000 cases with three reported deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This marks the largest outbreak in more than three decades.

Public health experts attribute the resurgence largely to declining vaccination rates. Measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, but outbreaks have returned, including a deadly flare-up earlier this year in Texas linked to an unvaccinated religious community.

Dr Renee Dua, a medical advisor quoted by the Daily Mail, warned that falling immunisation coverage has eroded herd immunity.

“Measles requires about 95 percent community immunity to prevent spread, and many regions are now below that threshold,” she said, describing the outbreaks as “preventable public-health failures.”

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine remains highly effective, with two doses offering 97 percent protection, according to the CDC. However, vaccination rates in several US states have fallen below recommended levels.

Measles is considered the most infectious disease in the world, with unvaccinated individuals facing up to a 90 percent chance of infection after exposure, even if contact with an infected person is brief or indirect. Health authorities estimate that three in every 1,000 people who contract measles may die.

For travellers in East and West Africa who transited through Newark Liberty International Airport on December 19, health officials advise close monitoring for symptoms and early consultation with medical professionals if concerns arise.

The NJDOH said it was “alerting residents and travellers about potential exposures associated with a newly identified case of measles in a non-New Jersey resident who travelled through Newark Liberty International Airport while infectious.”

Additional reporting and attribution: UK Daily Mail.