'Tiger King' Star Joe Exotic Shares Health Update Amid 'Huge Outbreak' at Texas Prison

Joseph Maldonado, better known as Joe Exotic, took the world by storm when Tiger King, the documentary series about his life, premiered on Netflix in March 2020.

The former zoo owner has since been arrested, tried, and imprisoned for crimes against animals and for allegedly trying to hire two men to murder his nemesis Carole Baskin, an animal activist who also appeared on the show.

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Now, Maldonado claims that he is one of 300 inmates in quarantine, and one of 140 inmates currently infected with scabies at the prison where he is carrying out a 21-year sentence.

Maldonado told TMZ that Federal Medical Center (FMC) Fort Worth is currently in the middle of a “huge” scabies outbreak, and that there isn’t enough medicine available to treat the itchy skin infestation, which is caused by mites.

He alleges that one inmate in the prison was infected with scabies for over seven months and was told to purchase over-the-counter cream from the commissary.

Maldonado also told the outlet that the prison has a rat infestation in the living quarters to the point that inmates say rats climb onto their beds at night.

Related: Where Is Joe Exotic Now? Find Out the Latest on the Ex-Zoo Owner

“A scabies outbreak has been identified in one housing unit at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas,” a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons told TMZ. The spokesperson continued, sharing that “out of an abundance of caution, the housing unit has been placed on modified operations status and social visitation has been temporarily suspended.”

They also told the outlet that “FMC Fort Worth is taking the necessary precautions to protect employees, incarcerated individuals, and the community from the possibility of being exposed to this outbreak.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, “scabies is contagious and can spread quickly through close person-to-person contact in a family, child care group, school class, nursing home or prison. Because scabies spreads so easily, health care providers often recommend treating the entire family or any close contacts. Scabies is easily treated. Medicated skin creams or pills kill the mites that cause scabies and their eggs. But itching may not stop for many weeks after treatment.”

Next: Is Carole Baskin Still Married to Howard? And What Happened to Don Lewis?