The bishop of Fargo Catholic Diocese exposed hepatitis A to churchgoers in several North Dakota towns from September to October, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The state health department issued a notice cautioning residents of the incident and urging them to seek medical attention if they think they may have been affected, though Immunization Program Manager Molly Howell claims the risk is low.
"There are no suspected or confirmed cases linked to the hepatitis A exposures at the North Dakota churches," Howell said in an email to CBS.
The health warning follows an announcement from the church that Bishop John Folda is taking a break from work to recover from his recently diagnosed illness. According to the diocese, Folda got sick after attending a conference in Italy last month for newly ordained bishops.
Officials are afraid that some churchgoers may have picked up the hepatitis through communion -- a Catholic ritual of eating bread and drinking wine which represents the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Aliceyn Magelky, a diocese spokeswoman, said the bishop is getting better.
"And he is doing just fine (now)," she said. "He has recovered very well."
Folda attended mass and participated in communion on these dates: September 27, 2013: Holy Spirit Church in Fargo, N.D. (school mass); September 29 - October 2, 2013: St. James Basilica in Jamestown, N.D. (priest convention); October 6, 2013: Cathedral of St. Mary in Fargo, N.D. (noon mass only); October 7, 2013: St. Paul's Catholic Newman Center in Fargo, N.D.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis A is a liver disease that is spread by close personal contact. It is described as a "flu-like" illness with symptoms including jaundice, stomach pains, and diarrhea.
