DON’T DRINK THE MOONSHINE

Booze Causes Botulism Outbreak in Federal Prison

More than a dozen inmates hospitalized.

More than a dozen inmates from a federal prison in Mississippi have been hospitalized with suspected botulism after the prisoners drank a toxic homemade moonshine. Authorities say at least 20 prisoners at the Yazoo City Correctional Institution have been struck down with severe illness as a result of the contraband booze. The Mississippi State Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to investigate the outbreak. Botulism is a rare but serious illness that can cause paralysis and even death. While it is not contagious, prison officials have restricted family visits as a precaution.