Illness sickens coroners at state convention

No official explanation was given as of Friday afternoon for the mysterious outbreak in illnesses that occurred last week during the Missouri Coroners and Medical Examiners Association convention in Jefferson City, Mo.

The convention at the Truman Hotel in Jefferson City had about 100 association members in attendance Tuesday night through Thursday. An official count of attendees affected by the illness was not known Friday.

"I've heard 20 people are sick and I've heard that 40 people are sick," said Cape Girardeau County coroner John Clifton, who attended the convention. "I just don't know."

Clifton said symptoms were "more of a respiratory thing," with coughing accompanied by a high temperature.

"I can't say for sure if all of the cases were related," he said, "but it's strange that everyone had similar symptoms."

Clifton, who feels OK, was coughing "just a little." He is unsure if the illnesses were caused by something in the hotel or if it might have been spread by a coroner or a medical examiner.

"What I know for a fact is that my deputy coroner, Jerry Goin, was in the emergency room for five hours. The president of the association, Dori Burke, was hospitalized."

The convention's executive director was forced to leave because of illness, Clifton said, as were several others, including Scott County Coroner Scott Amick and deputy coroner James Donner.

Amick, who was home battling a fever Friday, said he and Donner got to the convention Tuesday night and felt fine.

"James started to come down with something around lunchtime Wednesday," Amick said. "I started to feel it Thursday. That's when we left."

Bollinger County Coroner Charles Hutchings and his deputies, Jim Bollinger, Garry Major and Calvin Troxell, were in attendance; only Troxell did not get sick.

"We call it 'Coro-nair's' disease,' " Hutchings said. "Everybody got sick about 9 p.m. [Thursday] evening. It started out as a cough; everybody in the auditorium started coughing. People were feeling bad, couldn't attend the meetings. Two went to the hospital. Jim Bollinger was as bad as anybody; worse than most of them."

Lisa Steiner, general manager of the Truman Hotel, said the facility is working with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in search of a source of the illnesses.

"We certainly want to get to the bottom of this," Steiner said. "It's a shame that it had to happen."

Steiner said the agency was conducting tests.

"I haven't heard of them finding anything in the hotel," she said. "I live on the grounds and I feel fine."

Steiner said those attending a gathering of the State Probation and Patrol Association -- at the same time as the coroners and medical examiners convention -- reported no illnesses.

"It's possible the illness was spread among the coroners by someone in their group," she said.

Gena Terlizzi, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said in an email to the Southeast Missourian the agency was aware of the concerns surrounding events at the hotel.

"Department of Health and Senior Services disease investigators and environmental specialists are working with the local public health agency and the individuals involved to investigate the situation," she said.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

1510 Jefferson St., Jefferson City, MO