AURORA, Colo. — Twenty-five detainees have been quarantined at the immigration detention facility in Aurora due to an outbreak of scabies, Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Monday evening.
Six people contracted the contagious skin condition, and 19 others were exposed to it, said ICE spokesperson Alethea Smock in a statement, as first reported by a Denver Westword journalist.
ICE officials attributed the outbreak to the influx of migrants coming into the country through the U.S. southern border.
“Each ICE detainee receives a medical examination upon arrival at the facility to check for potential signs of illness,” Smock wrote. “However, ICE has no way of knowing what diseases or viruses a person may have been exposed before they enter the facility.”
Detainees will be treated with an ointment before being released from quarantine, which the facility expects to receive Tuesday, according to ICE.
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