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| Inmates Express Staph Concerns |
| By The Atchison Daily Globe |
| Published: 04/03/2006 |
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Reported incidents of staph infection at Kansas' Atchison County Jail have sparked reaction from jail inmates and family members. Recent letters received at the Atchison Daily Globe from jail inmates and an inmate's family member indicate that the methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, MRSA commonly known as staph remains a concern. Atchison County Sheriff John Calhoon said the first cases he became aware of were diagnosed more than two months ago. Inmates Porter Webb and Faith Paxton, and Mike Smyers, brother of former inmate Patrick Smyers, wrote the letters. A prisoner for about nine months, Mr. Smyers, a North Kansas City, Mo., resident was recently acquitted on a charge of attempted murder in the first-degree. In the letter written by Mr. Smyers' brother, he stated that Mr. Smyers had open sores that were untreated for about eight months, in spite of medical care paid by family members. Nancy Thummel, who serves as the jail staff nurse on behalf of the Atchison County Health Department, said during a recent interview that a prisoner was infected with MRSA before serving jail time in Atchison. Once the staph was identified, the prisoners received medical treatment. The medication cycles to treat the staph have been completed, but there are no guarantees that infestations won't reoccur. However, Mrs. Thummel said some inmates are at a higher-risk group for the infection. Some inmates come into the jail facility with drug and alcohol addictions, are malnourished and have other medical conditions. Personal hygiene of the inmates is also a concern. Since the incidents have come to light, both Sheriff Calhoon and Mrs. Thummel said they've placed an emphasis on education about MRSA, facility cleanliness, hand washing and inmate hygiene. |
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