LEE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Three Forks Regional Jail is under quarantine after an inmate contracted meningitis.
Jail employees tell LEX 18 that they believe the threat has been contained.
Wanda Winburn told LEX 18's Mike Valente that she makes the 30 minute drive to Three Forks Regional Jail every week to visit her son, but that routine was disrupted Wednesday when she arrived to find a sign on the door saying that there were no visitations.
"They told me the jail was shut down, but they didn't tell me why," said Winburn.
She spoke to Jack Adams with the medical department and learned that an inmate was transported to the hospital with pneumococcal pneumonia, and meningitis.
Officials say that the inmate, whose name has not been released, started showing symptoms last week. He had trouble breathing. He was in a cell with close to 80 other men.
Employees say that they've done a thorough scrubbing of the cell and restricted inmate access. They hope to have operations back to normal tomorrow.
The inmate's condition is unknown at this time.
