VERMILION CO.—An illness that has stricken inmates at Danville Correctional Center appears to have been brought under control, according to information from Illinois Department of Corrections.
DOC has provided information about the situation, stating that the Illinois Department of Public Health has completed tests for inmates reporting mild symptoms similar to those shown by inmates who previously tested positive for the Adenovirus and the testing of cultures takes several days.
Danville Correctional Center
The Adenovirus, which are medium-sized, non-enveloped viruses containing a double stranded DNA genome, rarely cause serious illness or death. The viruses cause a wide range of illnesses and symptoms though such as: colds, sore throats (pharyngitis), bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, pink eye (conjunctivitis), fever, bladder inflammation or infection, inflammation of the stomach or intestines and neurologic disease.
The rate of new cases is almost zero with only two over the past three days. The rate is in a virtual non-growth phase. Tests showed one new case today (September 6), no new cases yesterday (Thursday), one new case from Wednesday and 12 new cases from Tuesday. Combined with just four on Monday, the total is 18 cases this week, following 76 over less than seven days of the previous week. No patients diagnosed, previously or this week, have serious symptoms. Patients are improving steadily and, in a good number of cases, rapidly. A total of 94 inmates out of 1,835 at Danville are being treated for the Adenovirus. The Illinois Department of Public Health and IDOC medical experts recommend the safe and prolonged quarantine period to be 14 days from the last reported case. Housing unit R3 at Danville CC will remain quarantined until September 20, 2013 and remains on Level 1 lockdown. The rest of the facility remains on Level 4 (lightest) lockdown.
Aerial view of Danville CC