Lawsuit: Tennessee jail infested with scabies

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A lawsuit filed against a privately-run jail in Nashville, Tennessee alleges both employees and inmates were affected by a widespread scabies outbreak.

The Tennessean reported Monday that Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility employees say in the lawsuit that they faced professional backlash if they spoke out. In a separate case, inmates say officers threatened to put them in solitary confinement if they mentioned scabies.

Scabies is a contagious skin disease caused by a parasitic mite that burrows under the skin to deposit eggs, causing intense itching.

Health department spokesman Brian Todd says the outbreak isn't yet contained.

The jail is run by CoreCivic. The company on Monday declined to speak to specific allegations in the employees' lawsuit, but said the company is "following all protocols and guidelines to mitigate the issue."

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