Crow Wing County Sheriff Scott Goddard reports that the Crow Wing County Jail is currently experiencing two separate health related-issues – salmonella and hepatitis A. At this time, the source of the bacteria and virushas not been determined.

The Minnesota Department of Health is on-site working with Crow Wing County Jail staff, medical services staff and food service staff to identify potential causes. While the investigation is ongoing, jail staff are suspending visiting and limiting inmate movement and interactions. A professional cleaning company has been brought in to clean and sanitize the jail.

“Hepatitis A we were made aware of on September 26th with one confirmed case, and salmonella ended up on September 30th; as of right now we still have not heard or have confirmation of where the source came from,” said Crow Wing County Sheriff Scott Goddard. “Cleaning-wise, our approach is still the same, we brought in a vendor for cleaning and we’re hopeful within the next few days we’ll hear something from the Department of Health where we can feel more comfortable in getting back to normal operations.”

Besides yearly flu outbreaks, in the 12 years of operation of the facility, the Crow Wing County Jail has not had to manage an outbreak as severe as the current situation.

By — Chaz Mootz