{"id":8312,"date":"2023-06-14T00:20:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T22:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amil-care.com\/2023\/06\/14\/malattie-infettive-carceri\/"},"modified":"2023-09-11T12:49:42","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T10:49:42","slug":"infectious-diseases-prisons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amil-care.com\/en\/2023\/06\/14\/infectious-diseases-prisons\/","title":{"rendered":"Infectious diseases in prisons"},"content":{"rendered":"

The <\/span>Covid-19 pandemic<\/span><\/b> has highlighted how <\/span>the spread of the virus is facilitated<\/span><\/b> in certain environments<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>especially enclosed ones<\/span><\/b>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Penitentiary facilities <\/span><\/b>are among the closed environments most prone to the possibility of infectious risk in general, as well as the Covid-19 virus. Proper hygiene plays a key role in preventing infectious diseases in these spaces and protecting the health of inmates and staff.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s explore together the topic of <\/span>sanitization in prisons<\/span><\/b> in this article, which could be of interest to all those who work in contact with the sanitation of these realities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The infectious risk in prison\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Poor air exchange, high concentration of people in shared spaces, and continuous opportunities for contact are some of the characteristics that make <\/span>prisons<\/span><\/b> one of the most infectious risk closed environments<\/span><\/b>. Generally, the main risk in closed places is represented by bioaerosols. These are very fine particles, containing biological material, and which remain suspended in the air. Inside the bioaerosol particles, we can find infectious biological material, such as fungi, spores, bacteria, and viruses.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, <\/span>living together in confined environments<\/span><\/b> such as <\/span>places of detention<\/span><\/b> represents both <\/span>a source of infection and the spread of infectious diseases<\/span><\/b>. This picture also includes the frequent overcrowding of common areas, hygienic practices that are not always adequate, and a high turnover of people within the structures. The beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 brought to light the greater vulnerability of people detained to the virus, compared to the rest of the free population, precisely because of the closed and confined environments in which they live.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From this context, it is clear how prison spaces can represent a<\/span> receptacle for infectious diseases<\/span><\/b>. <\/span>This results, on the one hand, from the fact that prisoners often enter prison already with a more degraded state of health than average; and, on the other hand, from the structural features of the prisons themselves, which promote the <\/span>risk of infection<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The most common infectious diseases in prison<\/h2>\n

The presence and spread of infectious diseases is a critical issue that <\/span>typically<\/span> affects closed communities. The prison environment is also part of this picture. In fact, as reported by a <\/span>study by ARS Toscana<\/span> (Regional Health Agency of Tuscany) in 2015, among the most common pathologies in prisons, <\/span>infectious diseases are in third place<\/span><\/b>, after mental and gastroenterological disorders. <\/span>So,<\/span> what are the infectious diseases most frequently contracted in prison?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First<\/span>, it should be remembered that the risk of contagion and transmission of infections within prisons does not concern only prisoners, but the general community, which also includes staff, visitors, and all people who come into close contact with prisoners in condition of semi-freedom.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is an overview of the most common infections in prisons:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n