Prison locked down after strep-throat outbreak
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By Wilson Ring Associated Press - Published: September 20, 2007
MONTPELIER — The Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield was in lockdown Wednesday in an effort to control an outbreak of strep throat among inmates and staff, officials said.
Acting Superintendent Ellen McWard said about 40 of the 350 inmates and three of the 100 staff members were sick.
"They're trying to figure out where it comes from. All I know is it's here," McWard said.
To keep the strep throat from spreading, inmates are being isolated and visits outside the prison are, when possible, being postponed.
"We're in a what we're calling a medical lockdown," said McWard. "We're asking that nobody come in unless it's absolutely necessary."
Delores Burroughs-Biron, the Department of Corrections' health services director, said the outbreak of common group A strep began toward the end of last week. McWard said it was first recognized on Sunday.
The medical lockdown was imposed on Tuesday. It will be re-evaluated on Thursday.
Sick inmates are being placed on antibiotics. Most will start to feel better within 24 to 48 hours, said Burroughs-Biron.
"We haven't quite figured out who the index case is, but we have a good idea," she said. "It has spread quite rapidly." The "index case" refers to the first person at the prison to have developed the disease.
Now the inmates are being confined to their living units and sick inmates are staying in their rooms. Where possible, inmate visits outside the prison to courts or other locations are being postponed.
Corrections officials have been in daily contact with the Health Department, said Burroughs-Biron.
Prisons, like college dorms and elementary schools, are prone to outbreaks of disease because there are so many people in close proximity, Burroughs-Biron said.
"With our inmates, they can't avoid it," she said.
"You feel lousy. You really don't want to be around people. Even if it's not by design, they want to be allowed to sleep and rest," Burroughs-Biron.
Inmates are also being fed with disposable dishes and utensils, she said.
McWard said the prison staff was making accommodations for the inmates.
"We're trying to make them as happy as we can by showing them a lot of movies in their units. The inmates understand, McWard said.
None of the inmates has gotten seriously ill.
"We're really lucky that none of them are to the point we've had to take them to the emergency room," McWard said.
McWard, a 26-year veteran of the Corrections Department, said she'd never seen such an outbreak of disease.
"We've had flu that has gone around, but I've not had this," she said.
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