RPinSD
08-04-2004, 02:21 PM
OOppps meant to post in News not CDC!
Prisoners blame sickness on water,Officials insist water's fine
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Associated Press
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NORCO, Calif. - Prisoners diagnosed with a bacterium that causes ulcers and cancer blame California Rehabilitation Center water for making them ill and some inmates are now putting socks over shower heads to filter debris and refusing to wash to prevent rashes.
In recent months, about 20 inmates have been diagnosed with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that nestles into the lining of the stomach and causes bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and bloody stools, prison Dr. Sarv Grover said.
Prison officials insist the water, tested twice a week, is clean and Grover claims the inmates are exaggerating.
The minimum- to medium-security prison has been testing for the bacterium for two years and recently sent a memorandum to its staff and 4,600 male and female inmates to educate them on the illness, he said.
To protect themselves from H. pylori, they need to have good personal hygiene, eat food that has been properly prepared and drink water from a safe, clean water source, the memo stated.
"We came to prison to do time, not to be contaminated," said former inmate Tina Perez, adding she's still ill since her release a month ago.
"My son takes a sock to filter the water before taking a shower," said Cleone Merrill, a Sacramento resident whose 41-year-old son is imprisoned at the Riverside County prison 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
"He said the water is so dark, and others are putting socks up now, too," Merrill said.
Some inmates, family members and others believe contaminated water is flowing through the prison's plumbing. Others fear unsanitary conditions in the kitchens, bathrooms and dormitories are to blame.
"There are thousands of inmates statewide who are infected with H. pylori," said Judy Greenspan of California Prison Focus, an advocacy group for inmates. She specializes in health issues and regularly visits prisons.
"I think it's coming from the prison kitchens, and the cells are dirty," she said. "The conditions they live in are pretty bad."
Grover said he believes inmates with the bacterium were infected in childhood.
Studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori can cause gastritis, stomach ulcers and has been associated with stomach cancer. Scientists believe as many as half the people in the world are infected.
The prison once relied on well water that, when combined with the institution's aging plumbing, had a brown color but tested negative for H. pylori. A year ago, the prison was hooked up to the city of Norco's water system.
Lt. Tim Shirlock, spokesman for the prison, said prison water is tested twice a week and continues to come back negative for H. pylori. The water is also treated with chlorine to keep the pipes free of germs.
"They think, 'Oh, it's bad because it's discolored,'" Grover said. "But they are not getting sicker because of this water. The water is clean."
RPinSD
Prisoners blame sickness on water,Officials insist water's fine
http://www.mercurynews.com/images/common/spacer.gif
Associated Press
http://www.mercurynews.com/images/common/spacer.gif
NORCO, Calif. - Prisoners diagnosed with a bacterium that causes ulcers and cancer blame California Rehabilitation Center water for making them ill and some inmates are now putting socks over shower heads to filter debris and refusing to wash to prevent rashes.
In recent months, about 20 inmates have been diagnosed with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that nestles into the lining of the stomach and causes bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and bloody stools, prison Dr. Sarv Grover said.
Prison officials insist the water, tested twice a week, is clean and Grover claims the inmates are exaggerating.
The minimum- to medium-security prison has been testing for the bacterium for two years and recently sent a memorandum to its staff and 4,600 male and female inmates to educate them on the illness, he said.
To protect themselves from H. pylori, they need to have good personal hygiene, eat food that has been properly prepared and drink water from a safe, clean water source, the memo stated.
"We came to prison to do time, not to be contaminated," said former inmate Tina Perez, adding she's still ill since her release a month ago.
"My son takes a sock to filter the water before taking a shower," said Cleone Merrill, a Sacramento resident whose 41-year-old son is imprisoned at the Riverside County prison 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
"He said the water is so dark, and others are putting socks up now, too," Merrill said.
Some inmates, family members and others believe contaminated water is flowing through the prison's plumbing. Others fear unsanitary conditions in the kitchens, bathrooms and dormitories are to blame.
"There are thousands of inmates statewide who are infected with H. pylori," said Judy Greenspan of California Prison Focus, an advocacy group for inmates. She specializes in health issues and regularly visits prisons.
"I think it's coming from the prison kitchens, and the cells are dirty," she said. "The conditions they live in are pretty bad."
Grover said he believes inmates with the bacterium were infected in childhood.
Studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori can cause gastritis, stomach ulcers and has been associated with stomach cancer. Scientists believe as many as half the people in the world are infected.
The prison once relied on well water that, when combined with the institution's aging plumbing, had a brown color but tested negative for H. pylori. A year ago, the prison was hooked up to the city of Norco's water system.
Lt. Tim Shirlock, spokesman for the prison, said prison water is tested twice a week and continues to come back negative for H. pylori. The water is also treated with chlorine to keep the pipes free of germs.
"They think, 'Oh, it's bad because it's discolored,'" Grover said. "But they are not getting sicker because of this water. The water is clean."
RPinSD