JJT
05-05-2004, 06:59 PM
Inmates get treatment for intestinal virus
Thirty-three prisoners are infected at the Snake River Correctional Institution, but no one is sure of the source
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Prison physicians are treating 33 inmates at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Malheur County after an outbreak of an intestinal virus Monday night.
Health officials say the inmates may have a norovirus, an illness passed in the stool or vomit of infected people. People can be infected by swallowing stool-contaminated food or water or by having contact with a person who is infected and showing symptoms.
But it is unclear what caused the outbreak, said Perrin Damon, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Corrections.
Stool samples from inmates have been sent to a lab for testing so prison officials can determine for certain what virus the inmates have.
The prison is holding food trays from Monday's meals. But health officials say the virus probably can't be traced to a specific food, Damon said. She said the illness could also have been passed along by a visitor.
All of the infected inmates are in the minimum security area of the prison and are confined to their bunks, except for two who have been placed in the infirmary. They are eating their meals from disposable trays and are not eating with the rest of the population.
The medical staff working in the minimum security area are not working elsewhere at the prison. One nurse became ill, but it's unclear whether she has the same illness as the inmates, Damon said.
Noroviruses often begin quickly and usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping, according to the National Center for Infectious Diseases. Other symptoms include fever, chills and headache. They generally last a day or two. -- Stephen Beaven
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Thirty-three prisoners are infected at the Snake River Correctional Institution, but no one is sure of the source
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Prison physicians are treating 33 inmates at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Malheur County after an outbreak of an intestinal virus Monday night.
Health officials say the inmates may have a norovirus, an illness passed in the stool or vomit of infected people. People can be infected by swallowing stool-contaminated food or water or by having contact with a person who is infected and showing symptoms.
But it is unclear what caused the outbreak, said Perrin Damon, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Corrections.
Stool samples from inmates have been sent to a lab for testing so prison officials can determine for certain what virus the inmates have.
The prison is holding food trays from Monday's meals. But health officials say the virus probably can't be traced to a specific food, Damon said. She said the illness could also have been passed along by a visitor.
All of the infected inmates are in the minimum security area of the prison and are confined to their bunks, except for two who have been placed in the infirmary. They are eating their meals from disposable trays and are not eating with the rest of the population.
The medical staff working in the minimum security area are not working elsewhere at the prison. One nurse became ill, but it's unclear whether she has the same illness as the inmates, Damon said.
Noroviruses often begin quickly and usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping, according to the National Center for Infectious Diseases. Other symptoms include fever, chills and headache. They generally last a day or two. -- Stephen Beaven
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