Jonathan Bachman/Reuters
At least 24 people at Ohio’s Ross County Correctional Institute are being treated for a possible overdose caused by exposure to an “unknown substance,” according to a Wednesday report from WBNS-10TV. Information on the exact number of patients varies. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reporting that 24 people—including 15 guards, five nurses, and one inmate—were exposed, according to the Chillicothe Gazette. The Adena Regional Medical Center said it is treating 11 to 15 patients, who have reportedly been given the overdose-reversal drug naxolone. The Medical Center reportedly has 300 doses of naxolone on hand. WBNS-10TV reports the exposure was confined to one cell block, and that there is no threat to the public, although a nearby school has been placed on lockdown. Authorities have not released details on the “unknown substance,” or on the condition of the patients.
A similar situation appears to be unfolding in Pennsylvania: The Morning Call reported Wednesday that the state’s Department of Corrections has ordered a lockdown of all state prisons, after “multiple staff members” have fallen ill in recent weeks from exposure to “unknown substances.” Erie News also reported Wednesday morning that hazmat and other first responders have been called to address an “unknown substance” exposure at the State Correctional Institution in Albion, and that two people were taken to the hospital.