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Story Published: Dec 18, 2007 at 7:37 PM EST
An inmate at the Oswego County jail warns that he has a contagious disease, but has not been quarantined.
In a letter to CBS 5 News, Tommy Coe claims he has a severe case of the highly-contagious staph infection MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). Though he is being detained in a special housing unit, Coe says he is still using the same shower facilities and riding in the same transportation vans as other prisoners.
Citing medical privacy regulations, Oswego County Sheriff Reuel Todd would neither confirm nor deny Coe's condition, but he did acknowledge that several other inmates have the infection. The state does not require them to be segregated at all times, he said.
"They are well-bandaged and medicated so that is not an issue," Sheriff Todd told CBS 5's Steve Flamisch. "If we thought there were a problem, or if the state thought there were a problem, I'm sure they would be in complete quarantine."
Dr. Shelley Gilroy, an infectious diseases specialist at Syracuse's Crouse Hospital, agrees to a point. While only one percent of the population contracts MRSA, those who do have the infection must be especially careful, she said.
"Some of the prisoners that get admitted have weakened immune systems," Dr. Gilroy said. "It's a different group of people, so they might be more susceptible to coming down with a severe infection from this."
MRSA can be fatal if left untreated. Though it is only transmissible through open, bleeding wounds, cases of the so-called "superbug" have been reported at schools and hospitals nationwide. Coe, who is currently being held on a grand larceny charge, has been incarcerated at the jail 35 times, Sheriff Todd said. It is not clear when he contracted the infection.
http://www.wtvh.com/news/local/12611356.html
An inmate at the Oswego County jail warns that he has a contagious disease, but has not been quarantined.
In a letter to CBS 5 News, Tommy Coe claims he has a severe case of the highly-contagious staph infection MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). Though he is being detained in a special housing unit, Coe says he is still using the same shower facilities and riding in the same transportation vans as other prisoners.
Citing medical privacy regulations, Oswego County Sheriff Reuel Todd would neither confirm nor deny Coe's condition, but he did acknowledge that several other inmates have the infection. The state does not require them to be segregated at all times, he said.
"They are well-bandaged and medicated so that is not an issue," Sheriff Todd told CBS 5's Steve Flamisch. "If we thought there were a problem, or if the state thought there were a problem, I'm sure they would be in complete quarantine."
Dr. Shelley Gilroy, an infectious diseases specialist at Syracuse's Crouse Hospital, agrees to a point. While only one percent of the population contracts MRSA, those who do have the infection must be especially careful, she said.
"Some of the prisoners that get admitted have weakened immune systems," Dr. Gilroy said. "It's a different group of people, so they might be more susceptible to coming down with a severe infection from this."
MRSA can be fatal if left untreated. Though it is only transmissible through open, bleeding wounds, cases of the so-called "superbug" have been reported at schools and hospitals nationwide. Coe, who is currently being held on a grand larceny charge, has been incarcerated at the jail 35 times, Sheriff Todd said. It is not clear when he contracted the infection.
http://www.wtvh.com/news/local/12611356.html
