Hundreds of people attended the Christmas Day mass at a Catholic church on New York Long Islands and this may mean hundreds may have been exposed to hepatitis. This was based on the report of Nassau County Health Department that those who attended the 10:30 a.m. or noon services at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Massapequa on December 25 may have been infected of hepatitis A virus.

Hepatitis A is not as dangerous as hepatitis B and C but severe flu-like symptoms can be felt. The officials of NCHD did not give the name of the person who was found positive but the officials affirmed that it was a clergy member. Vaccines for those who attended the two masses are offered.

Mary Ellen Laurian, spokeswoman for Health Development, said that around 1,300 people attended the services but no outbreak is seen. The spread of Hepatitis A is possible if a person failed to wash his hands and handled food. The good news is that no one has been reported with this illness yet.

Symptoms of hepatitis A include fatigue, fever, jaundice or yellowing of the skin and dark urine. But if a person gets vaccinated or a shot of immune globulin in the first two weeks of exposure, he or she will not become sick again.