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Inmate illness numbers falling at Putnamville
PUTNAMVILLE -- An outbreak of influenza that killed one inmate and has had Putnamville Correctional Facility not accepting visitors or transfers appears to be subsiding.
In a Friday update on the status of the outbreak, Putnamville Public Information Officer Elesha Hidalgo said only one new inmate had been checked for flu-like symptoms since Thursday and no one had been sent to Terre Haute Regional Hospital for more serious illness since Wednesday.
As of Friday morning, seven inmates remained in observation at the prison, five were in the detention area of Terre Haute Regional and one inmate was in ICU.
The offender in ICU is the same man who was reported to be on a ventilator on Tuesday.
The hospital numbers are well down from those reported on Tuesday, at which time 13 men were in the hospital, two in the ICU.
In total, more than 40 members of the prison community -- between inmates and staff -- have been treated for H1N1 influenza since last week.
A number of inmates took a turn for the worse with bacterial pneumonia brought on by MRSA bacteria. Pneumonia symptoms have have sent approximately 20 offenders to the hospital at one time or another.
The deceased inmate, a 35-year-old Mexican national, was suffering from pneumonia when he succumbed to it on Friday, Jan. 22.
Facility officials responded by adding extra disinfecting measures as well as supplying hand sanitizer and masks to inmates and staff.
All visitation and transfers in or out of the facility were ceased last weekend.
Officials hope to resume normal activity early next week.