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Inmates Say Unclean Conditions Spurred Staph

CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) ― Several Lake County Jail inmates are suing the jail's warden and the sheriff, alleging that unsanitary conditions at the jail led them to contract the dangerous drug-resistant staph "superbug."

Sheriff's Department officials say they weren't aware of the suit, but they confirmed that the jail was closed down for one day for sterilization last year after inmates were diagnosed with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Spokesman Mike Higgins said he wasn't aware of any current cases of MRSA in the jail.

The lawsuits were filed Thursday in federal court in Hammond.
Several Porter County inmates recently sued the Porter County Jail for the same reason.

Health-care specialists have targeted jails and schools as particularly susceptible to the spread of MRSA because of the daily person-to-person contact. 

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