The family of a woman who died and two couples sickened with Hepatitis A after eating food at a golf club in Morris County earlier this year have filed lawsuits against the facility claiming they were served food contaminated with the virus.

Dorothy Del Guercio, 82, of Bergen County, died Aug. 20 at Morristown Medical Center. She contracted hepatitis A after eating food June 22 in the dining room of the Mendham Golf and Tennis Club, according to a lawsuit filed by her husband, Ernest.

The Morris County Office of Health Management has said 27 people contracted Hepatitis A from an infected food handler at the Mendham Golf & Tennis Club, likely between June 9 and June 30.

Hepatitis A is a communicable disease of the liver transmitted person-to-person through feces or consumption of contaminated food or water, according to the Center for Disease Control.

“The contagious fecal material that contaminated the foodstuffs originated with one of the employees, agents or servants (of the club) who was infected with hepatitis A,” the suit states.

Two Morris County couples sued the golf club and claimed they were sickened after eating hepatitis-contaminated food in the dining room on June 14 and 21.

Michael and Danielle Ryan, of Mendham, along with Edward and Deborah Russo, of Ledgewood, claim a worker failed to follow common sense procedures, “failing to wash his or her hands after using the bathroom,” the second suit states.

“The contaminated food caused (both couples) to contract hepatitis A, resulting in severe physical illness and hospitalization,” the suit states.

Ernest Del Guercio, of Glen Rock, has filed a wrongful death suit, alleging negligence and violations of the state’s adulterated food statute and product liabilities act.

The Ryans and Russos have alleged the same violations and also accuse the golf club of failure to warn guests of their exposure, “thereby depriving (guests) of the opportunity to receive vaccinations, which could have reduced the risk (of contracting hepatitis A).”

Joe Kelly, the club’s general manager, was not immediately available to comment on the lawsuits Monday.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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