A Portland, Oregon, nail salon is facing a second lawsuit from a customer who claims she contracted herpes during a manicure, more than a year after another woman sued the same business over a similar infection. The latest customer is seeking a reported $5 million in combined damages from the salon and Oregon authorities, accusing state regulators of failing to intervene after the first lawsuit.
The complaint, filed October 19, 2026, in Multnomah County Circuit Court, alleges that a 31-year-old woman contracted herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) after receiving acrylic nails at PDX Nails and Lashes on August 1, 2025.
The woman, identified in court documents as J.S., claims the nail technician used a drill and other implements without wearing gloves before massaging her hands with lotion or oil.
The following day, she experienced burning and stinging along her right hand and pinky finger. An itchy, fluid-filled blister appeared shortly afterward, prompting her to seek medical treatment on August 12. Testing in September confirmed an HSV-2 infection affecting her finger, according to the complaint.
J.S. was diagnosed with herpetic whitlow, a herpes infection affecting the fingers or hands. HSV-2 is commonly associated with genital herpes, although the woman's infection affected her hand. She alleges that she had no previous history of the virus and continues to experience painful outbreaks despite taking antiviral medication.
Her attorney, Amity Girt, previously represented another customer who sued PDX Nails for $1.75 million in March 2024 after allegedly contracting HSV-2 during a June 2023 manicure.
That customer claimed a nail technician worked without gloves and stored drill bits in an Altoids container. She subsequently developed inflammation and blisters around her fingers and was diagnosed with herpetic whitlow.
The earlier lawsuit was settled in 2025 for an undisclosed amount, before J.S. visited the salon. According to her attorney, J.S. was unaware of the previous infection allegations when she made her appointment.
The latest complaint also names the Oregon Health Authority and the state's Health Licensing Office, accusing officials of failing to take sufficient action against PDX Nails despite its earlier sanitation violations and the first customer's lawsuit.
State inspectors fined one of the salon's Portland locations a total of $1,000 in 2021 for failing to disinfect used tools and properly clean foot spa equipment. Inspectors also documented used drill bits at a workstation.
Oregon sanitation rules require nail salons to disinfect reusable implements between customers. J.S. alleges that regulators should have suspended or revoked the salon's license after learning of the earlier infection allegations, preventing further exposure.
State officials confirmed that the business had received no additional violations or fines since the 2021 inspection.
J.S. is seeking $2.5 million from PDX Nails and another $2.5 million from Oregon authorities, according to FOX 12. Her lawsuit alleges that the salon's sanitation practices caused her infection and that state regulators failed to take action that could have prevented it.
