Inmates recovering after gastrointestinal illness at Meck Co. Detention Center
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden is providing more details on what’s been described as a gastrointestinal illness that hit the county’s detention center.
He said around 50 inmates became sick late Saturday night, with nearly all of them exhibiting the same symptoms, which included vomiting and diarrhea.
The affected inmates have since recovered.
READ MORE: Meck detention center illness report was gastrointestinal outbreak: Sheriff
In an interview Wednesday with Queen City News, McFadden said there is testing currently taking place to determine the source of the outbreak.
“We think that someone brought something in or somebody ate something from the food trays, so we’re not sure yet,” he said.
A former public health official in Jackson County told Queen City News that, in general, investigations like this can take two tracks.
They said if the sickness came from food, there will be an investigation into where the food came from, how it was transported, and what temperature it was stored at.
If it is a stomach virus, the former official noted that–depending on the virus–there could be more extensive cleanup required.
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