Tens of thousands of spectators were potentially exposed to measles during a Shakira concert at the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford last week, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
The Health Department said in a statement that a “resident not of the NJ” recently diagnosed the very contagious virus attended the Colombian pop star concert on May 15.
Health officials said there had been no other confirmed measles resulting from the concert on Tuesday. However, anyone who may have contracted measles to attend the concert, which took place up to 1 hour the next day, could develop symptoms until June 6, according to health officials.
The New Jersey Ministry of Health said that measles is spreading in the air and can linger in a space up to two hours after the departure of an infected person.
Health officials urged the public to verify their measles, breathlessness and vaccination of rubella status. They said that the two -doses vaccine was safe and remains the most effective protection against the virus.
The virus generally starts with a high fever, a cough, a flowing nose and aqueous red eyes, followed by a rash which generally appears three to five days after the start of the symptoms. Measles can cause pneumonia, encephalitis and serious complications for those who are pregnant, including miscarriage, premature birth or low birth weight, officials said.
Videos published on social networks have shown tens of thousands of people present at the concert. This is one of the dozens of stops on the world tour of “Las Mujeres Ya no Lloran” in Shakira, a reference to the twelfth studio album of the singer.
The stadium may contain around 50,000 people for most concerts, according to its website.
The Shakira publicist and a spokesperson for Metlife Stadium did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Cases of measles increase nationally, with 1,024 confirmed cases reported in 2025 to May 15, according to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least three deaths were linked to the virus this year and 13% of cases required hospitalization.
