The virus that killed one inmate and sickened dozens more at Putnamville Correctional Facility is a strain of the flu, officials said Tuesday.
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“It does appear to be pneumonia, but exactly what type, source – whether it was viral or bacterial – we don’t know yet”, she said.
An inmate of the Putnamville, Ind., Corrections Center is dead and 18 others have been treated for a pneumonia-like outbreak at the facility.
Authorities say safety precautions are being taken including isolation, bleaching of the unit and wearing masks.
Michael Mitcheff, chief medical officer for the Indiana Department of Correction, said the flu virus, in combination with the staph infection “added fuel to the fire” when the man became sick last week, and his condition deteriorated very quickly.
“I just talked to a colleague at Missouri who said they incentivize and give them a granola bar and it increases the incidents of them taking it”, Mitcheff said.
The Indiana State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control are working closely with the agencies to find out the cause of the situation. Since that incident, health officials have included a strain of H1N1 in the regular flu vaccine.
The mysterious illness has lead to the death of at least one inmate according to information released by the Indiana Department of Correction Monday afternoon.
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As symptoms got worse, a number of offenders were sent to the hospital. Thirteen remain in the hospital, two in the Intensive Care Unit.
