Customer Sues Over McDonald's Hepatitis Exposure

Would you like fries with your contagious liver infection? The operators of a New York McDonald's have been sued after as many as 1,000 customers were possibly exposed to hepatitis A earlier this month, Reuters reports. Last Friday, the Seneca County Health Department confirmed a worker with hepatitis A prepared food and drinks at the Waterloo restaurant during the first week of the month. The employee could have infected customers by not washing his or her hands after going to the bathroom. Now Jascor Inc., which owns that McDonald's location, is facing a class-action lawsuit brought by one of the customers who dined there while the employee was working, according to WHAM.

Reuters reports it's unlikely any customers actually contracted the virus. Still, cnycentral.com reports that more than 1,000 people received hepatitis A vaccinations from the health department last Saturday, after public health officials said any potentially exposed customers not previously vaccinated should do so. "We have not had a hepatitis A outbreak before—at least a large breakout—in the 23 years since I've been here," the director of the health department says. Jascor didn't respond to requests for comment, Reuters reports. And it's unclear how much the plaintiffs are seeking in the lawsuit. (More McDonald's stories.)