Half of the Galveston County Jail in Texas has fallen sick, many of them vomiting and experiencing diarrhea and stomach cramps.  Prisoners began complaining of stomach cramps and other symptoms at about 5 p.m. last Wednesday, and county health officials were called to test food for contamination and help identify the cause.

At one point at least 543 prisoners were experiencing signs of illness.  Jail staff suspected that the illness may have been caused by an earlier meal, and officials quarantined numerous food items.  Bologna sandwiches and food served with them were being examined for contamination.

Test results from the sampled food have not yet been released.

Possible suspects could be norovirus, Salmonella or E. coli, among others.  In an outbreak such as the one in the Galveston County Jail, the close proximity of the prisoners to one another can increase the severity of an outbreak.