Five tuberculosis (TB) cases have been confirmed among inmates at a correctional facility.

The Department of Correctional Services, in a statement today says the inmates have been hospitalized and are responding well to treatment.

No staff member has tested positive for TB.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is now conducting TB screening for other inmates at the facility. The contacts of the hospitalized inmates have been identified and are being screened.

Close to 100 inmates have already been through part of the first level of evaluation for TB.

DCS notes that inmates are also being scheduled for the next level of evaluation, which involves a chest x-ray and a sputum test.

The disease is caused by a bacterium called myco-bacterium tuberculosis , which usually attacks the lungs and can potentially affect other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain.