Hundreds of worshippers exposed to the hepatitis A?

[Guest guest]

Hundreds of worshippers may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus while

receiving Holy Communion at a Long Island Catholic church on Christmas morning,

officials said.

An unidentified person who handled the communion wafers could have transmitted

the illness to parishioners at two Masses on the holy day, authorities said.

The possible spread of the virus occurred at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic

Church in Massapequa at the 10:30 a.m. and noon Masses on Dec. 25...

The church has about 7,500 parishioners, but it was not clear how many attended

the Masses.

Hepatitis A is commonly spread by consuming food or drink that was handled by an

infected person.

" It's not the Communion wafer itself, " Dolan said. " It was somebody who handled

the Communion wafers. There may have been a transmission there. "

Casual contact is not enough, health officials said. Just attending one of the

Masses but not receiving Communion would not put someone at risk.

" It is under investigation, " Dolan said. " We're hoping that anybody who might

come down with the virus comes out and gets the vaccination. "

Symptoms usually appear within 28 days of infection but can manifest as much as

50 days after. Anyone at risk should be inoculated within two weeks of being

exposed.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mass_disease_feared_hgdsufbj4l3yQUwNaeBL3I