Story highlights Influenza virus responsible for inmates getting sick at medium security prison, doctor says

Two inmates are in intensive care unit at local hospital

(CNN) An influenza outbreak at a western Indiana prison has sickened more than 20 inmates and is believed to have contributed to the death of one prisoner, officials said Tuesday.

The H1N1 flu strain is responsible for the outbreak, said Dr. Michael Mitcheff, the Department of Corrections' chief medical officer. It is one of the predominant strains causing illness this year, according to the most recent weekly flu report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About 35 inmates developed flu-like symptoms at the Putnamville Correctional Facility near Greencastle, Indiana Department of Corrections spokesman Ike Randolph said.

There are 13 inmates at Terre Haute Regional Hospital, including two in the facility's intensive care one, Mitcheff said. One man is having respiration difficulty and has been placed on a ventilator. The other has a low white blood cell count, which suggests that he could have pneumonia.

At least two members of the prison staff have gotten sick and been treated, Mitcheff said.

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