For the first time in Ohio history an unidentified inmate at a Columbus-area prison has been diagnosed with leprosy, state prisons officials said Thursday. It’s the first known case of the disease ever to be found in an Ohio inmate.
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Active, Neglected Nodulous Lepromatous
Leprosy Lesions on Face |
The inmate, whose name was not released, was diagnosed with the chronic bacterial infection on Tuesday at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution, according to the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The infected prisoner is a native of Micronesia, a region of islands in the Pacific Ocean, and has served time at three other Ohio prisons since 2011, according to Stuart Hudson, the DRC’s managing director of health care and fiscal operations. The inmate is believed to have illegally entered the U.S. sometime in 2009. He’s now being treated at Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Hudson said in an interview.
State officials believe that the inmate contracted leprosy while living in Micronesia, though he didn’t show symptoms until recently, Hudson said. After infection, it can take up to 20 years for signs of the disease to appear, according to the CDC. Hudson said he’s not concerned that the inmate will spread the disease to other prisoners or staff, noting that 95 percent of the population have a natural immunity. However, out of caution, prison staffers are working to identify and test other inmates who regularly came within three feet of the afflicted prisoner, according to the DRC.
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease, can cause severe skin sores and weaken or paralyze muscles in the hands and feet. The disease is spread through coughing, sneezing, ...
