A Salmonella outbreak at Solano County jails in California has allegedly sickened more than a hundred inmates, according to the Vallejo Sun. All three jails in that county have ill inmates, and the outbreak has lasted more than a week, a spokesperson for the Solano County Sheriff's Office told that outlet. As of Tuesday, June 27, 2023, 15 people were still sick. All prison visits were cancelled during the height of the outbreak. Symptoms included headaches, body aches, vomiting, and diarrhea, which are classic symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning. There are three jails in that county, including the Stanton Correctional Facility, the Claybank Detention Facility, and the Solano County Justice Center Detention Facility. Trinity Services Group provides the food for all three jails, … [Read more...]
Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak at Nebraska Correctional Facility
A Salmonela Enteritidis outbreak at a Nebraska correctional facility this year sickened at least 15 people, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) for the week of July 15, 2022. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCDH) notified the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services of two cases of laboratory-confirmed Salmonella in inmates on January 14, 2022. The investigation linked consumption of mechanically separated chicken to the illnesses. Mechanically separated chicken is produced by separating edible meat from bone and cartilage under pressure. It is often used for use in institutions like prisons, jails, and correctional facilities because it's cheap. A Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak linked to that product sickened at least nine … [Read more...]
Lincoln Correctional Center Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 6 in Nebraska
A Lincoln Correctional Center Salmonella outbreak in Nebraska has sickened at least six inmates, according to a press release by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Food poisoning outbreaks at prisons and jails are fairly common because of close quarters and serving large quantities of food. However, none of the inmates incarcerated during the Lincoln Correctional Center Salmonella outbreak were tested when they got sick. All are recovering from their symptoms. Most of the patients were from one particular housing unit at the LCC. Dr. Harbans Deol, medical director at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) said that it is likely that all of the patients consumed something that caused their illnesses. "Salmonella is one of those medical conditions … [Read more...]
Salmonella and Hepatitis A Outbreak at Crow Wing County Jail in MN
A Salmonella and Hepatitis A outbreak at the Crow Wing County Jail in Minnesota has been announced by the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office. The number of those sickened has not yet been released. We also do not know the ages of patients or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office Jail Division was notified on September 26, 2019 that one inmate tested positive for hepatitis A. This virus is very contagious, and can be spread person-to-person, through contact with surfaces, and through contaminated food and drink. Officials do not know the source for the virus. Jail medical services staff, Crow Wing County Pubic Health, and Guide Point Pharmacy of Brainerd, Minnesota have been vaccinating inmates and employees who may have been exposed to … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak at Perryville Correctional Facility in Arizona Sickens 5
A Salmonella outbreak at the Perryville Correctional Facility in Goodyear, Arizona has sickened five people, Chris Minnick, Communications Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) told Food Poisoning Bulletin. The outbreak began on August 14, 2019. This facility houses women inmates. Officials took and tested 69 environmental samples. All were negative for the pathogen. We do not know if anyone has been hospitalized in this outbreak. And we do not know the patient age range. The origination for these infections is under investigation by the Arizona Department of Health Services, and no more information or additional details about the cases are being released. The Arizona Department of Corrections is working with ADHS to investigate this outbreak. Outbreaks … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak at Cook County Jail Sickens Dozens; Lawsuits Possible
More than 50 inmates at the Cook County Jail in Chicago, Illinois were sickened with Salmonella infections, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office. News reports state that five cases of Salmonella food poisoning have been confirmed. And at least two inmates were hospitalized because they were so sick. Local public health officials are conducting an investigation along with the Cook County Department of Facilities Management and the sheriff's office. The outbreak took place in the jail's Division XI, which is located at 3015 South California Boulevard in Chicago. Data and studies show that prisons, just like hospitals and nursing homes, are at high risk for foodborne illness. Crowded conditions in prisons can contribute to outbreaks, since person-to-person spread of … [Read more...]
E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak at Anvil Mountain Correctional Center in Nome, Alaska May Be Linked to Nationwide Romaine Lettuce Outbreak
An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at the Anvil Mountain Correctional Center in Nome, Alaska may be connected to the nationwide outbreak linked to chopped romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona. The Department of Health & Social Services, Department of Environmental Conservation, and Department of Corrections issued a joint press release about this outbreak. Eight confirmed cases have been identified. The romaine lettuce consumed by the Nome patients was grown in Yuma, Arizona, according to investigators. State officials are telling Alaskans to avoid any romaine lettuce products that could be contaminated. Restaurants, retailers, and consumers should ask their suppliers about the source of the lettuce. This statement, for the first time, says that consumers should avoid whole head and … [Read more...]
Outbreak at Ramsey County, MN Jail
An outbreak at the Ramsey County jail last week sickened more than 100 inmates, according to Doug Schulz, Information Officer for the Minnesota Department of Health. There were probably no hospitalizations in this outbreak. According to Schulz, food testing is not complete, but he said that negative results won't be meaningful, since food testing is difficult. Food trays were tested after the outbreak was reported to public health officials. One stool sample was collected, but since it was collected long after recovery from the illness, the results will be limited. This sample is not being tested for the same pathogens the food trays were tested for. MDH is not able to interview inmates, and officials probably won't have any further details or answers than what is currently … [Read more...]
Gastrointestinal Outbreak at Jail in Wyoming in 2015
The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report has published a report on a gastrointestinal illness outbreak associated with rancid tortilla chips that occurred at a correctional facility in Wyoming in October 2015. This outbreak was not reported to the public when it happened last year. A county health department notified the Wyoming Department of Health of an outbreak on October 12, 2015. Most of those sickened got sick within one to three hours after eating lunch served at the facility cafeteria at noon on October 11. Residents and staff members reported that the tortillas chips served at the lunch "tasted and smelled like chemicals." A case control study was conducted by the county health department and the Wyoming Department of Health. Multivariate logistic regression … [Read more...]
Preliminary Cause of Cass County ND Jail Outbreak: Clostridium Perfringens
Several news reports state that the North Dakota Department of health has made a preliminary diagnosis about what sickened 110 inmates in the Cass County Jail last month. Clostridium perfringens was most likely the culprit. Stool samples from several inmates revealed the pathogenic bacteria. This bacteria is found on raw meat and poultry. It grows when foods are prepared in large quantities, as in jails, nursing homes, and schools, and that food is kept warm, but not quite warm enough, for long periods of time, or is improperly cooled. This type of outbreak is quite common in large institutions. The outbreak in December 2015 was the second one at the Cass County Jail in the last four years. About 40% of the 282 inmates at the jail were sick with symptoms that included diarrhea … [Read more...]
