Epidemics are Cool

...from an intellectual standpoint, anyway.

I think I was infected with the highly-contagious norovirus on New Year's Eve. This same bugger is has spread madly across the country and recently shut down San Quentin Prison. Just to clarify, I haven't been hanging out there.

Interesting reading:

San Quentin State Prison Closed Due To Widespread Norovirus OutbreakJanuary 4, 2007 12:00 p.m. EST

Patricia Shehan - All Headline News Staff Writer

San Quentin, CA (AHN) - The well-known San Quentin State Prison in California was closed on Wednesday to all new inmates, visitors (including attorneys) and employees as officials began to conduct an ongoing investigation of the widespread outbreak of the norovirus.

Nearly 500 inmates and six employees have been reported to be ill from gastroenteritis, which is a stomach virus that causes severe symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, fever and possible dehydration.

The quarantine is planned to continue at least until next week.

The first detected outbreak occurred last Thursday and the norovirus continued to spread quickly. The virus is highly contagious and several outbreaks recently occurred at several hospitals and nursing homes throughout the Bay Area of California.

In the meantime, all inmate movement is being restricted as common areas throughout the prison are being cleaned and bleach is being applied.

Although there have been no hospitalizations, prison medical officials have notified county and state officials and sent cultures to be tested at independent laboratories to determine the cause and oversee the status of the virus outbreak.

Transfers and releases of prisoners have all had to be cancelled and delayed.

San Quentin State Prison was originally established in July 1852 on 432 acres of land for both men and women as a result of the "rampant lawlessness" in California at that time. In 1993 the prison began housing only men. Today the prison houses over 5,000 inmates and employs nearly 1,700 people with an annual operating budget of approximately $120 million.