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A resident of New York City with measles may have exposed people to the contagious disease in a Union County office, health officials said Friday.
Anyone who has visited the AristaCare Health Services headquarters at 245 Birchwood Avenue in Cranford on May 30 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm could have been exposed, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
"The Department recommends to anyone who has visited the place (…) during the specified dates / times to immediately contact a health provider to discuss a potential exposure and risk of developing the disease," said the Department of State Health in a statement. "If you have been exposed, you are at risk if you have not been vaccinated or if you have not had measles. People potentially exposed to these dates, if infected, could develop symptoms as late as June 20th. "
Measles in N.J .: How did we manage to avoid a N.Y. level epidemic here?
Measles was effectively eradicated in the United States less than 20 years ago, but is back now.
According to health officials, the symptoms may include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. The disease can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia and swelling of the brain.
Although it is possible to get vaccinated, measles cases have increased in the United States. At least 1,000 confirmed cases have been reported, the highest level since 1994, according to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Two doses of measles vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing measles," said Dr. Christina Tan, an epidemiologist in the state of New Jersey, in a statement.
The outbreaks in New York and Rockland County have been going on for eight months, according to the CDC. If epidemics continue, the country could lose its status of measles elimination.
"Measles is preventable and the way to end this epidemic is to ensure that all children and adults who can be vaccinated are vaccinated. Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe and that they do not cause autism. The biggest danger is the disease that vaccination prevents, "said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC.
Noah Cohen can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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