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| Staph infections prompt inspection |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 07/05/2006 |
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GREENVILLE, SC - A federal judge has ordered a doctor to inspect the Greenville County jail after a staph infection caused more than 30 prisoners and officers to develop sores. The order was issued at the request of two lawyers who are investigating conditions at the jail. The attorneys expect the doctor's report soon. Some of the sores got so bad, the infected inmates and officers had to be taken to the hospital, including one prisoner who had to have a finger amputated, the lawyers said in court papers. Staph infections start when the bacteria contact open skin. It can spread in people living in close quarters, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 20,000 inmates who passed through the jail last year, only "double digits" developed a staph infection, said James Dorriety, assistant county administrator for the Department of Public Safety. The jail also recently began isolating inmates who test positive for a staph infection, which allows prisoners to receive more direct care and can prevent the spread of the infection, Dorriety said. "We are very comfortable with our actions, as far as our control of infections," Dorriety said. Several inmates at the Richland County jail reported a staph infection in June 2003 that health officials said were likely caused by spider bites. The two Anderson lawyers who asked for the inspection, Chip Howard and Tom Dunaway, said they also plan to sue the jail, saying the facility does not meet minimum standards set by the state. The jail currently has twice the number of inmates it was built to hold, Dorriety said. One of the 26 inmates named in the case told his son he has had seven staph infections since being booked at the detention center in December, having to have sores cut and drained each time. |
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