Posted on 10/29/2013 8:46:03 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
The North Dakota Department of Health has found that the Catholic bishop John Folda, exposed several parishioners to Hepatitis A in late September and early October through communion, which he administered after he unknowingly contracted the virus from contaminated food he consumed at a conference held for the newly ordained bishops in Italy last month.
The notification for the possible Hepatitis A virus exposure was issued to churchgoers who attended mass on September 27 at the Holy Spirit Church in Fargo, N.D.; September 29-October 2, 2013 at St. James Basilica in Jamestown, N.D.; October 6, 2013 at Cathedral of St. Mary in Fargo, N.D.; and October 7, 2012 at St. Paul's Catholic Newman Center in Fargo, N.D.
Folda issued a statement apologizing for the exposure and explaining that it was in no way intentional, "I sincerely apologize to the people who may have been exposed to the virus. I wish I had known I was ill so I could immediately refrain from participating in public activities. Unfortunately, I had no symptoms immediately following my return and during the events that have been brought to the public's attention," reports MedicalDaily.
The state health officials recommend the exposed individuals to consult their health-care provider to check if they had developed any symptoms.
Virus Hepatitis A symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort, tiredness, dark urine, pale stools or jaundice. These signs develop 15-50 days after being exposed to Hepatitis A and they continue for about two months. People with Hepatitis A should consider excluding themselves from activities for one week after the onset of the symptoms.
Concerned about the churchgoers who were exposed to the virus, Molly Howell-Immunization Program manager for the North Dakota Department of Health said, "The risk of people getting hepatitis A in this situation is low, but the Department of Health felt it was important for people to know about the possible exposure. Only people who attended these specific churches and had communion on these dates were possibly exposed to hepatitis A and should be tested if symptomatic. People who were exposed, but do not have symptoms, are not recommended to be tested for hepatitis A."
The virus present in the stool of the infected people generally spreads when people do not wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet and then touch their own mouths or prepare food or touch other people with contaminated hands..
Vaccination within two weeks of exposure can stem the illness. Hepatitis A can trigger serious liver problems.
Folda issued a statement apologizing for the exposure and explaining that it was in no way intentional, "I sincerely apologize to the people who may have been exposed to the virus. I wish I had known I was ill so I could immediately refrain from participating in public activities. Unfortunately, I had no symptoms immediately following my return and during the events that have been brought to the public's attention," reports MedicalDaily.
CITH,COTT
Better luck next time.
I "really, really would"?
Really?
How AWFUL for him. How's he been doing? Well, I hope. I'll say a prayer for him.
He has recovered and is returning to his duties. Like the article says, it’s likely he contracted it at a meeting for new Bishops in Rome last month. He was just ordained as bishop this year and although most people realize this wasn’t his fault, he seems pretty embarrassed by the whole ordeal. Not the way he wanted to start out, I’m sure!
And how are we sure that communion was the way these folks contracted the virus from the bishop? If it’s merely unwashed hands, wouldn’t shaking hands (after mass) be more likely the culprit?
I feel like this is being made into a communion issue when it shouldn’t.
You do, eh? Just how would you know that?
If this virus is transmitted through unwashed hands, then the obvious solution would be to wash your hands before giving out communion.
A step I would almost automatically presume would be the case. I just would naturally have guessed that the priest did this anyway, as a matter of procedure or courtesy.
Or reverence for what he would consider the sanctity of what he was about to do. What priest would consider consecrating the host with unwashed hands?
If I read the article correctly, no one has actually contracted the virus except the bishop himself:
The North Dakota Department of Health has found that the Catholic bishop John Folda, exposed several parishioners to Hepatitis A in late September and early October through communion, which he administered after he unknowingly contracted the virus from contaminated food he consumed at a conference held for the newly ordained bishops in Italy last month.If it’s merely unwashed hands, wouldn’t shaking hands (after mass) be more likely the culprit? I feel like this is being made into a communion issue when it shouldn’t.
I suppose that's possible. Many on the Catholic Caucus thread Oh My Gosh! A Second American Bishop Has Contracted Hepatitis A! [Comm. in Hand] used the occasion to debate "communion on the hand" vs "communion on the tongue". You might find that thread interesting.
You’re sure you’re an ex-Catholic? Look up the term “lavabo”.
Oh I saw that thread. I also know I’m not welcome there.:-)
It’s interesting that the assumption in that thread was that communion was the concern. Regardless of which way communion is received, I think there is a much greater risk of contraction through the direct contact in shaking the bishop’s hand at the end of mass. I’m willing to bet that most if not all parishioners do this.
The article may not have said anyone contracted it, but again the assumption is made that he is exposing others “through communion”. I have to wonder whether it has ever been proven that anyone has ever gotten sick by receiving communion. I’ve always believed that if it’s truly the Body and Blood of Christ, what am I concerned about?
Yeah, I remember that.
Do you really think that’s the kind of through washing that’s needed to cleanse someone’s hands from infectious diseases?
I would think so too. However, I have a few thoughts on that:
(1) is it possible that a quick wash of hands is not enough wrt the virus? Because maybe he did, but not a thorough washing, KWIM?
(2) How many Catholics make a point of washing their hands prior to going to Mass (and receiving the Host in their hands)? Same idea, I think.
FWIW, I think it can be proved that it's happened at least once :)
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
-- 1 Corinthians 11:27-31
Metmom routinely astonishes me with her assertions of what Catholics believe, in ways that absolutely strain her credibility. But in this case, I’ll cut her some slack. The Lavabo is largely merely ceremonial; It might rinse off something nasty, like a sneeze, but would hardly decontaminate someone’s hands in any significant way.
My sympathy to the Bishop and his congregation. The writer is a lousy journalist. The implication is he knowingly exposed his congregants, although it says just before that he unknowingly contracted the disease in Italy.
There is a window of time before symptoms become obvious and a person is aware of an illness. To infer that the bishop is somehow guilty because he contracted Hep A, and then exposed the people deliberately, is totally ignorant.
Ha ha! Of course!
Usually, (like almost always as I understand it) the most contagious time is the period of time in the day or two before showing symptoms, and at the very onset, the first day when you are just beginning to be aware of being sick.
Probably a characteristic of the viruses to help their spread, as if you were most contagious AFTER you showed symptoms, you would quarantine the person and stop the spread of infection cold.
I would not believe that this would have been an intentional exposure.
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