San Quentin Prison authorities are struggling to contain an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease after six inmates were discovered to have been afflicted with the disease last week. As of Wednesday, nearly a hundred inmates are reported to have been infected.

California authorities believe that San Quentin's antiquated water system may be the source of the disease. But correction officials are having a hard time isolating and treating the prisoners, who are a carrying the bacteria.

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The bacteria called Legionella infects human victims through water particles spewed out in the shower room or air conditioners. San Quentin holds almost 4,000 prisoners and many of them may already be infected by Legionnaires' disease.

Prison officials have implemented restrictions on the movements of inmates in the hope containing the outbreak. San Quentin's centralized shower rooms and faucets have already been closed, but jailers have to find other ways to keep prisoners clean.

People afflicted with Legionnaires' disease generally exhibit symptoms similar to Pneumonia, which is probably one of the reasons why prison officials did not detect the disease earlier. Pneumonia is a disease that afflicts more than 50 inmates a year in correction facilities like San Quentin.

California public health officer Matt Willis said that the number of inmates who caught the disease is proof that an outbreak has occurred among San Quentin's prison population.

California Correctional Health spokesperson Joyce Hayhoe expects the number of inmates afflicted with the disease to climb up. She explained that Legionella bacteria usually has an incubation time of at least ten days.

The toilet facilities in San Quentin are still operational but prisoners have endured a steady diet of peanut butter and bread. By Wednesday evening, the prisoners started receiving hot meals. Prisoners were allowed to take showers in stalls installed outside the prison buildings. However, death row inmates were not allowed to take a shower outside their cells.

Fox News reported that Legionnaires' disease has caused the death of at least four persons in Illinois as of Monday while a dozen New York prisons reported at least 12 deaths due to the disease.

TagsLegionnaires' Disease, San Quentin, California inmates, California Correction facility, pneumonia, prison plumbing, death row inmates, contaminated water, Legionella Bacteria