50 people affected by gastrointestinal issues at Meck County detention center over weekend
The illness that swept through the Mecklenburg County Detention Center-Central over the weekend impacted about 50 incarcerated people, the sheriff’s office said on Wednesday.
The Mecklenburg County Health Department visited the facility on Monday, the sheriff’s office said in a news release, and determined that the facility experienced a “gastrointestinal outbreak.”
The affected people at the detention facility experienced symptoms of stomach illness, the news release said.
When asked about what may have caused the outbreak, sheriff’s office spokesperson Bradley Smith said it is not clear.
The news release said those affected were treated, and most felt better within 24 hours.
The health department required the facility to use personal protective equipment when cleaning and disinfecting areas impacted by the outbreak. The health department also reviewed the cleaning and disinfecting products used at the facility to ensure they were effective, the news release said.
The detention center’s medical director announced that staff on Monday began testing all residents who were symptomatic with gastrointestinal illness.
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