BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction announced Thursday that four suspected cases of botulism were reported from a Belmont County prison.
ODRC says the reported cases all came from inmates at Belmont Correctional Institution. The four individuals are being treated at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
It is believed that the suspected cases are linked to contraband homemade alcohol that the individuals consumed.
The Ohio Department of Health notified ODRC on Aug. 30 about two suspected cases. The third and fourth cases developed within the following days.
Medical staff conducted education screenings with over 2,000 incarcerated individuals at Belmont Correctional Institution to determine if any other individuals consumed contraband alcohol within the last two weeks. Those individuals were medically evaluated and did not have symptoms. They will continue to be monitored.
A search of the housing areas associated with the suspected cases was conducted and additional contraband homemade alcohol was confiscated.
Botulism is not known to be contagious and those who consumed the contaminated homemade alcohol are the only at-risk individuals. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing and blurry vision.
