An officer at Muskegon Prison dies of meningitis, an inmate was also diagnosed

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – A 52-year-old officer from the Earnest Regional Correctional Facility C. Brooks has died of bacterial meningitis and a prisoner has also been affected by the disease, officials said. of the state prison.

The officer was a prison system employee for 20 years, said Chris Gautz, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections, on Wednesday, March 27.

The prisoner became ill at the end of last week and is now recovering at a Jackson prison medical center.

Gautz stated that the officer's illness had started with strep and had turned into meningitis. He last worked on March 18th and apparently went to the hospital late last week.

Tests are in progress to determine whether the officer and the inmate had the same strain of meningitis.

Prison administrators held an open discussion session with Brooks employees on Wednesday. The intention was to educate the staff. A MDOC physician and an epidemiologist from the Ministry of Health and Social Services of the State were present to answer questions.

The germs at the origin of bacterial meningitis are contagious. But Gautz said the disease involving the officer usually only developed into meningitis with a compromised immune system.

He added that some areas of the prison had been cleaned with bleach and that medical masks would be provided to employees and prisoners on request. But he added that these two efforts were aimed more at reducing the level of anxiety than anything else.

The officer or prisoner not being in the facility for several days, it is unlikely that you would contract a contagion.

Gautz stated that the deceased officer was well loved and that bereavement counselors are available to his colleagues.

"They lost a highly respected and loved employee," he said.