County Battles Spread of Meningitis at Jail

Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials Sunday said they were continuing to administer antibiotics to 2,000 inmates and staff at the Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho in Castaic to stop the spread of an outbreak of meningitis. But officials refused to comment on why two days passed between the time an inmate died of meningitis and the time antibiotics were first administered.

Officials said Alexander Betancourt, a 45-year-old inmate from El Monte, died Thursday from meningitis at County-USC Medical Center.

Two inmates, who were not identified, remained hospitalized in critical condition Sunday after contracting the disease.

Betancourt had been housed in three jail facilities since his incarceration Jan. 26 for possessing marijuana for sale: Men’s Central Jail downtown, the Biscailuz Center in East Los Angeles and at Pitchess.

It was not known when or how Betancourt contracted the virus or how long he may have been contagious, officials said.

On Sunday, the jail complex was closed to visitors and inmate movement into and out of the facility was restricted to stop the spread of the disease. “We regret the necessity of this action; however, caution dictates that we limit contacts and movements temporarily,” said Deputy Patrick Hauser.

Sheriff’s authorities identified the form of meningitis in the confirmed cases as meningococcal, an acute infectious disease marked by inflammation of the brain and the spinal cord because of bacterial infection. This form of meningitis occurs most frequently where people live in close contact with one another.

Sheriff’s Department medical services moved quickly over the weekend to administer an antibiotic to inmates and 200 staff members who were potentially exposed to the disease.

Dr. John H. Clark, chief medical officer for the Sheriff’s Department, said at a Saturday evening news conference that there was a slight increase in the number of cases of meningococcal meningitis reported countywide this year.

“That’s an indicator that perhaps it’s a larger problem than one would normally think,” he said.

However, Dr. Shirley Fannin, who directs disease control programs for the county Department of Health Services, said Sunday that there is no public health threat from the jail infection.

Meningitis, which is most common in institutions, is usually spread during respiratory flu season through face-to-face contact, such as coughing, Fannin said. It is not highly contagious, and strikes seven to 10 county jail inmates a year, she said.

“It is not as if this hasn’t happened before,” she said.

Fannin said that only those closest to those infected face the possibility of contracting the disease. “Maybe a bunkmate or a close associate” should be treated with antibiotics, she said.

News of the outbreak struck fear in family members of inmates who have visited the facility and wonder whether they also need to seek medical attention.

Betancourt’s wife, Ramona Portillo, 34, said she has received mixed messages from jail officials.

“They told me that he had a heart attack, that it wasn’t meningitis,” she said. “But then someone told me that he had a very contagious disease and we all should get checked out. I really don’t know what to do.”

Bruce Flatt, who visited his brother at the facility Saturday, said he was confused.

“Exactly how contagious is this?” he asked. “My brother called me from the jail to tell me they woke him up at 3 a.m. to give inmates shots or pills. Now I wonder whether we need to get seen.”

He said he and his niece planned to see a doctor for a checkup.