Southeast looking for cause of athletes' illness

Southeast Missouri State University officials hope to receive some answers today to a mysterious illness affecting the athletic department which has sent about two dozen athletes and coaches seeking medical attention at Southeast Missouri Hospital over the past three days.

Southeast athletic director Don Kaverman doesn't term the illness, characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms, as highly serious, but said the school is seeking to identify the cause. The Cape Girardeau County Health Department has been contacted to help determine the cause.

Kaverman said about two dozen student athletes and coaches have been taken to the emergency room at Southeast since Saturday. Even more have become sick.

"To my knowledge it's basically confined to student athletes," Kaverman said.

Football coach Tim Billings said the football program has been hit particularly hard with 32 players and three coaches becoming ill.

Kaverman was reluctant to speculate on the cause of the illness, noting it could be anything from a virus to a possible food or water problem.

According to university spokesperson Ann Hayes, the first illnesses were reported late Saturday night with more Sunday and Monday. Those seeking medical attention reported flu-like symptoms involving vomiting and fever. Several have been treated for dehydration and all were released in a matter of hours.

Hayes said lab tests were performed on several of the athletes at Southeast Hospital and results were expected today.

"Until we get those results, it's hard to know anything else," Hayes said.

Billings has been spared the illness, but not the affects.

"It's hard to practice without 30 kids," Billings said, referring to Monday's practices. He said he didn't expect many of those ill Monday to practice today, either.

"We'll have lost two days of two-a-days, so that's like four practices," Billings said. "It's been different."

He said the illness has little consideration for boundaries, affecting players who live on campus and off campus, defensive and offensive players, freshman and seniors.

"I don't know what it is," he said. "They've been checking everything out."

He did note that players eat together during two-a-days, but added a couple volleyball players have also been ill.

"The good news is we don't have a game to play this week," Billings said, "but it has put us all behind."

jbreer@semissourian.com

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