|
|
| 60 inmates quarantined for fear of meningitis outbreak |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 08/20/2004 |
|
Sixty inmates at a suburban correctional facility in Puerto Rico have been quarantined to prevent a possible outbreak of meningitis, officials said. The isolation at the Bayamon Correctional Complex began Aug. 9 when one of the inmates in a cellblock complained of fever, severe headache and a stiff neck, symptoms consistent with meningitis. The inmate tested negative for bacterial meningitis, but officials said they were awaiting results of a viral meningitis test before lifting the quarantine, Corrections Department spokeswoman Yesenia Lociel said. The possible case comes amid a viral meningitis outbreak throughout the U.S. Caribbean territory of nearly 4 million residents that has affected at least 320 people since mid-July. Meningitis is an illness causing inflammation of tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. Viral meningitis, which is the most common type, is caused by an infection with one of several types of viruses. In the United States, there are between 25,000 and 50,000 hospitalizations due to viral meningitis each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. Common symptoms include fever, severe headache, stiff neck and vomiting. The illness is most commonly spread through direct contact with saliva or mucus of an infected person. Viral meningitis is serious but rarely fatal in people with normal immune systems. Usually, the symptoms last from 7 to 10 days and the person who is infected recovers completely. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think