Operations back to normal at Danville prison
September 19, 2013 2:06PM
DANVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Illinois prison officials say Danville Correctional Center is back to normal operations after more than 100 inmates were sickened, likely by a fungus.
Tom Shaer (SHAYR) is a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Corrections. He says 102 inmates became sick with what authorities believe was histoplasmosis.
That’s a fungus that’s found in some Illinois soil, which causes lung infections when the spores are inhaled.
Shaer says workers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are expected to offer an update on their investigation at the 1,800-inmate facility on Friday. They’ve been at the Danville prison for about a week and have been working with Illinois public health officials.
The state put the prison on a low-level lockdown late last month. That was lifted Sept. 13.
