Last week, the Martin County Health Department released an official press release stating that a confirmed case of meningococcal meningitis had been identified in a prison inmate at the Martin Correctional Institution in Indiantown, Florida. As of January 26th, 2 additional inmate – 1 confirmed and 1 suspect – have been admitted to the Martin Memorial Hospital for treatment. As a precautionary measure, the facility was placed on temporary lock-down – not admitting any new inmates, and some staff and inmates were placed on antibiotics. Those who refused treatment were placed into quarantine for a minimum of 10 days. Meningococcal Meningitis is an incredibly fast acting bacterial disease with high fatality – causing inflammation in the lining of the brain and death in approximately 15 percent of cases, even with the availability of antibiotic treatment.
