Skin Bacteria Spread in L.A. County Jails

A virulent skin disease that resists common treatments continues to spread in the Los Angeles County jails, with about 200 inmates becoming infected each month, authorities said Tuesday.

“There is a significant level of infection in the jail,” said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the county public health agency.

But he also said the number of new infections, caused by a strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria resistant to many antibiotics, has tapered off at the jails in recent months.

Most of the infections are caused by inmates passing the disease to fellow prisoners, but healthcare officials said nearly a quarter of new cases involve inmates who contracted the infection before going to jail.

“An increasing percentage of those -- about 25% -- are coming in infected from the community,” Fielding said.

The infections, commonly called staph, usually provoke a mild skin reaction. But in severe cases, they can cause serious blood and bone infections. The ailments have led to more than 50 inmates requiring treatment.

In addition to prisoners, four sheriff’s deputies have reported contracting the infection, including one who said he passed it on to his newborn. Sheriff’s officials said they have yet to determine whether those cases were contracted in the jails.

But sheriff’s union representatives said they remained concerned about the health hazards for their deputies.

“When you’re processing close to 1,000 new people on a daily basis, it’s a huge problem,” said Steve Remige, vice president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs.

The Los Angeles County jails initially misdiagnosed the infection as spider bites in 2002.

That year, 921 inmates were identified as having staph. In 2003, 1,849 contracted the infection. Last year, the Sheriff’s Department recorded 2,480 new cases.

Despite the increases, county public health officials praised sheriff’s officials for their efforts to control the infection.

Inmates are examined for infection when they are booked into the jails. Cells and mattresses are cleaned.

Dormitories have been set aside for infected inmates at the men’s jail in downtown Los Angeles and the facility in Castaic.

Infected inmates also receive a cocktail of antibiotics.