Measles exposure may have occurred at 3 N.J. locations, including convention

The New Jersey Department of Health announced Friday that a non-resident infected with measles visited Morris County while infectious, potentially exposing others at three locations. The person attended LegionsCon, a three-day convention celebrating a toy design company known for highly detailed action figures, and stayed at the Sonesta Simply Suites Parsippany Morris Plains at 100 Candlewood Drive in Morris Plains, according to the NJDOH.

The same individual also visited a Walgreens in Morris County and a second hotel, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Parsippany at 1700 Route 46 in Parsippany, according to NJ.com and the Bergen Record. NJ.com reported the Walgreens visit occurred on Nov. 8 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., while the Holiday Inn Express stay spanned Nov. 7 to Nov. 9. The Bergen Record confirmed the Walgreens location as 1700 Route 46 in Parsippany and the Holiday Inn Express dates.

Anyone who visited these locations during the specified times may have been exposed and could develop symptoms as late as Dec. 4, the NJDOH said. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, watery red eyes, and a rash that typically appears three to five days after symptoms begin, starting as flat red spots on the face at the hairline and spreading downward. Measles can cause serious complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, miscarriage in pregnant people, premature birth, or low-birth-weight babies.

The virus is airborne and can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. Officials urge anyone who thinks they may have contracted the virus to call their local health department or health care provider before going to any medical office or emergency room.

There are currently no measles outbreaks in New Jersey and no additional associated cases have been identified in the state. However, cases continue to soar nationally, with 5,182 confirmed measles cases and 43 new outbreaks across 47 jurisdictions reported in the United States as of Nov. 6, according to the NJDOH. Measles has killed eight people in the U.S. in 2026, in addition to three in 2025.

A dip in vaccination rates and erosion of community herd immunity are credited with the nationwide measles resurgence. The United States is poised to lose its measles elimination status this week, which the country has held for more than 25 years.