LERDO, Calif. -- On Tuesday, several inmates in a housing unit at the Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility were found to have flu-like symptoms.

On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office is implementing precautionary measures as part of its response plan to prevent the spread of further illness to other inmates, staff, and the public.

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The inmates with flu-like symptoms were removed from the housing unit and placed in an isolation housing unit for medical observation, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Department.

As a further precaution, the inmates without symptoms will be medically isolated for an initial period of 72 hours to monitor them for the development of symptoms, the KCSO reported.

Both groups of inmates will be monitored by medical staff and will receive medical treatment as needed.

As part of these measures, the inmates in the isolation units (Pre-Trial’s F-Pod, Unit 4 and C-Pod, Unit 4) will not be able to have visitors during the isolation period.

However, normal phone privileges will still be available to the isolated inmates.

At this time, most of the inmates that were housed in the affected housing unit do not have symptoms and are being isolated only as a precautionary measure.

To protect the public, staff and inmates against influenza, including the H1N1 virus, during visiting, the KCSD would like to remind the public of the following precautions and recommendations regarding visiting at sheriff’s department jail facilities:

• Persons with symptoms of the flu (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue) will not be allowed to visit. Do not come to the facility for visiting if you have such symptoms.

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizer will be provided for visitors before and after visitation.

• Individuals under the age of 18 are not recommended to visit KCSO jail facilities during the current flu season.

• Visitors are strongly encouraged to observe proper hygiene and cough etiquette during visitation, including cleansing hands prior to and following touching your eyes, nose or mouth; cover your cough with tissue or sneeze into your elbow; and cleanse your hands following any contact with respiratory tract secretions.

Visiting will be restored for the affected inmates as soon as isolation is no longer medically necessary.