STAPH STILL NAGGING AT HARDIN COUNTY JAIL

18 Cases Confirmed Since July

Hardin County Detention Center officials are controlling a staph infection
outbreak that began at their facility last summer when an inmate
transferred from another jail brought the infection in.

Medical officials at the jail have diagnosed and treated 18 cases of staph
since July 23.

The county jail houses an average of 584 inmates per day.

Marilyn Frank, the lead nurse, said she met with the jail physician when
the outbreak occurred, and they developed a plan for dealing with the
infection.

"We've done quite well with keeping it contained," Frank said.

Staph can cause more serious infections in other parts of a person's body,
such as the lungs, bones, joints, heart, blood and central nervous system.
Those infections are more common in people with certain chronic diseases,
in people who are having surgery, and in those with a weakened immune system.

Anyone entering the jail with an open wound that medical personnel suspect
could be staph is isolated and a culture taken.

Frank said protocol calls for an antibiotic to be started before culture
results are back, just to be on the safe side.

When the infection first appeared, inmates showered every day for three
weeks with an anti-bacterial soap provided by Hardin Memorial Hospital.
Cells were cleaned top to bottom with bleach weekly, and good hygiene was
stressed to inmates.

Cells have returned to being cleaned every other week, Frank said.

With an increase of staph infections appearing in jails and other
institutions across the state and with inmates coming and going constantly
at the Hardin County Detention Center, stamping staph out completely is
going to be difficult, Frank said.

"It's something that's on the increase and it's going to be difficult to
eradicate it," Frank said.

Hardin County Jailer Louis Lawson said the infection is becoming more
widespread because of drug abuse. People who use methamphetamine spread
infection by using dirty needles, Lawson said, and neglect their hygiene
all together.

"It all comes in from this meth use," Lawson said. "This is where this is
becoming a crucial, crucial issue for us."

Lawson said the Kentucky Department of Corrections inspects the jail
regularly. Overcrowding has been noted in the past, Lawson said, but the
jail has never been cited for failure to maintain cleanliness.

While jail officials actively fight the disease, inmates' families complain
about conditions at the jail.

Terri Sweeney said her husband, Martin, who is serving a year in prison for
two assault charges and driving under the influence, became infected when
other inmates with staph were transferred to the medical ward.

Martin Sweeney was assigned to the ward with a broken leg at the time.

Sweeney noticed he had the infection and told medical personnel, Terri
Sweeney said, but they didn't do anything for two days. They finally
isolated him and treated the infection, she said.

Frank said while it is the jail's policy to isolate an in-mate with staph,
it is possible for someone with staph to reach the general population.

"If they tell us they have a sore, we check it out," Frank said. "If they
don't tell us, we don't know. It's kind of hard to treat something when you
don't know it's there."

While Sweeney's family said he actually caught the infection at the jail,
another Hardin County family said a family member was forced to wrap up in
a sheet while her clothes and linens were disinfected.

Kay Upton said in addition to having to wear a sheet, her sister, who is
serving a sentence for driving while intoxicated, was denied more soap and
shampoo when the supply she was given upon entering the jail ran out.

Upton said since personal hygiene is a way to combat staph, denying soap is
a bad idea.

Frank said no inmate had ever been asked to wear a sheet while her clothes
were washed. When cleaning occurs, inmates wash with an antibacterial soap
and are then issued clean clothes and linens, Frank said.

"We have more than enough uniforms to be able to provide clean clothing for
them," Frank said.

Frank said soap was available to inmates whenever it was needed.

"If they need a bar of soap, all they have to do is ask a line officer,"
she said.