prison.bmpOn June 28, we reported here on news of a possible foodborne illness outbreak at the U.S. Penitentiary – Canann in  Waymart, Pennsylvania.  At the time, officials had not provided information on the infectious agent involved, and downplayed estimates of the number of people ill.

The AP reports today though that hundreds of inmates have been sickened with Salmonella, stating that the number of ill may be as high as 500.

Health officials in Pennsylvania are now confirming the outbreak, and the suspected cause:

The Health Department’s director of communications, Christine Cronkright, tells The Associated Press that most of those sickened at the U.S. Penitentiary-Canaan in Waymart reported eating chicken fajitas last month.Cronkright says a federal inspector is on his way to the facility, and that the prison’s food service facility has been shut down pending cleaning and inspection.

Marler Clark has been contacted by a number of families of impacted inmates, and is currently investigating.