Infection control standards for Australian prisons: forgotten, but not forgiving

Australian prisons have been the setting for several breaches in infection control; episodes that have had real or potential effects on the prisoner population and the general community. However, this review of peer-reviewed literature pertaining to infection control practices and to various routes of disease transmission reveals that some credible risks have not been described in Australian prisons, which may be expressions of a weak surveillance system. In these instances, references from the international (some historical) peer-reviewed literature were sought. Australian prisoners do not currently benefit from all protective mechanisms, available in the general community. There are currently no nationally agreed infection control guidelines for Australian prisons.