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Women's prison has TB outbreak

With seven cases confirmed, about 4,000 are being tested.

LOWELL - About 3,100 inmates and 800 staff members are being tested at Florida's largest women's prison after six inmates and one staff member contracted tuberculosis, the Florida Department of Corrections reported Wednesday.

The first three cases of the potentially fatal lung disease were reported over the past 14 months at Lowell Correctional Institution in Marion County, said Debbie Buchanan, a department spokeswoman. Four more cases were discovered in a massive testing program begun this week.

The infected inmates are being treated at a prison medical facility and are being kept in isolation, while the staff member is receiving treatment at an outside hospital, Buchanan said.

Prison officials are also in the process of locating employees and inmates who have been transferred from Lowell to other prisons, so they also can be tested.

Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium spread through the air when a person with TB coughs, sneezes, spits or speaks. It easily spreads from person to person, but can usually be cured with drugs. It usually affects the lungs but can spread to the kidneys, bones, spine, brain and other parts of the body, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Health officials don't know whether TB got into the prison via an inmate or visitor, Buchanan said.

As a result of the outbreak, visitation has been suspended and no inmates are being moved in or out of the prison, Buchanan said, until the situation is contained.

[Last modified July 14, 2005, 00:30:10]