Oregon Woman Says She Contracted Herpes On Her Hand Following Contaminated Manicure

An Oregon woman is suing a nail salon, claiming that she contracted herpes from the business.

According to OregonLive, The plaintiff, only identified in court documents as S.R., has filed the lawsuit recently in relation to her June 2023 visit to PDX Nails. S.R. says that after receiving a manicure, she developed serious sores on her hands, which began on two of her fingers before spreading to others. She experienced painful swelling, blisters, and inflammation. Her condition became so intense that she visited urgent care, where she learned that she had contracted herpetic whitlow, a rare virus. This type of herpes can usually spread due to a cut near your nail.

S.R. highlighted several red flags during her services, which included the nail technician failing to wear gloves and shocking storing her drills and other tools in an Altoids tin. S.R. shared that the workers in PDX Nails did not clean the foot spa properly either. The nail shop was fined for “failing to disinfect used tools,” but S.R. is hoping that she will be compensated for her pain.

Despite taking antivirals, S.R. says her condition is contagious, forcing her to keep her hands bandaged up, especially during flare-ups. The 23-year-old woman maintains that she had not been diagnosed with the disease before the nail shop visit and is sure that is where her hands became infected, exhibiting symptoms just days after her visit. She is now seeking at least $1.75 million for her heartache.