NEW JERSEY (PIX11) — The New Jersey Department of Health is alerting Garden State residents that measles was detected in the community within the last week.
The virus was detected in a wastewater sample collected from a treatment plant in Essex County on March 20, health officials announced on Thursday. However, officials also note there have been no confirmed cases of measles in New Jersey since October 2025 and a follow-up sample taken at the same site on Monday came back negative.
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The treatment plant serves Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Union and Essex counties, according to the New Jersey health department.
Health officials say the detection of wild-type measles virus in wastewater could mean people who currently have or recently had measles may be in the community. This could include people who live or work in the area or those who traveled, including through Newark Liberty International Airport.
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The detection in wastewater does not mean there’s a virus outbreak but it can indicate that at least one person with measles was in the region, according to the health department…