All inmates, staff at Nashville jail now need scabies treatment

An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the jail. It is the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility.

Health department officials say all inmates and staff at a 1,300-bed privately run Nashville jail must be treated for scabies.

"We learned about at least two new scabies cases in the men's unit and contacted CoreCivic today to let them know they must treat all male inmates and staff at the Harding Place facility," Metro Public Health Department spokesman Brian Todd said in a Monday email.

All women inmates at the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility were to be receiving treatment for the parasite after the health department was notified of a scabies like rash in mid-May, officials have previously said.

The infestation spread to lawyers, staff and other courthouse employees in the meantime. On Monday, health department officials confirmed it had spread to the men's housing units at the jail.

Read more:4 Nashville courthouse workers with scabies connected to jailhouse outbreak, officials say

The jail is run by CoreCivic, a private company previously known as Corrections Corporation of America or CCA.

Todd said the company notified the health department it is "in the process of obtaining the medication and will begin providing treatment" to the male inmates once the medication arrives.

Scabies is a skin infestation by the human itch mite, which often leads to an itchy rash, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Reach Stacey Barchenger at 615-726-8968, sbarchenger@tennessean.com or on Twitter @sbarchenger.