People at Hotel Hospitalized

***UPDATE MONDAY 11:50 P.M.***On Monday, the Cole County Health Department issued an update on the series of mysterious illnesses last week at the Truman Hotel and Conference Center.Director Dr. Marie Peoples said two cases had been positively identified as influenza A. Other patients had been interviewed over the weekend, but the cause of the other cases had not yet been determined.Peoples advised anyone still showing symptoms to see a doctor immediately.***UPDATE FRIDAY 5:51 P.M.***The number of people getting sick after attending a conference at the Truman Hotel continue to climb Friday, according to Mauzy, who was at the Missouri Coroners and Medical Examiner Association’s annual conference. To date, 45-50 people have fallen ill, with seven having to go to the hospital, said Mauzy, who learned two more people had gone to the hospital to get checked Friday and two others are very sick at home. State health department is the lead investigating agency and released a statement Friday morning saying they have sent disease investigators and environmental specialists to work with Cole County Health Department to investigate the situation. Several of them were seen at the Truman Hotel Friday early afternoon, going back to the same rooms were the hotel guests who have gotten ill stayed in and the meeting room where the conference took place. The general manager of the hotel,Lisa Steiner, said they are fully cooperating with health investigators. Steiner further adds that they have disclosed to guests of the incident and offered refunds if anyone wished to leave, but none decided to leave, believing it was an isolated incident. The source of the illness has not yet been discovered. The woman who first came down with trouble breathing remains in the hospital, said Mauzy. *** UPDATE 10:41 P.M. ***Dozens are violently ill after a conference in Jefferson City. Around 40 coroners are sick, many hospitalized, after a convention this week at the Truman Hotel and Conference Center.Those who are sick told ABC 17 News doctors don’t know what’s wrong or how to treat them.The former president of the Coroners Association, Roger Mauzy, said the health department is investigating the possible outbreak at the Truman Hotel. Other sources who were at the convention said the CDC was also getting involved.Over the past few days, the Missouri Coroners Association were having their annual banquet at the hotel and suddenly Wednesday night people were struck with some sort of respiratory sickness.Mauzy said it all happened extremely quickly. Out of nowhere healthy people suddenly turned for the worse. Many being taken immediately to the hospital.”High temperature, to back pains, chest pains and respiratory distress,” said Mauzy.ABC 17 News spoke with the Randolph County Coroner who drove himself to the hospital. Like many, he said doctors cannot pinpoint what the disease is, only that it doesn’t seem like food poisoning. “They still to this point have absolutely no clue what it is,” said Mauzy.Thursday, those who weren’t sick started tracking who had become sick and what rooms they were in. The coroners said that’s when they knew the Health Department needed to get involved.”The numbers were so alarming, there was something going on, we didn’t know what and thats the scary part… the part that bothers us,” said Mauzy.ABC 17 News crews went to the Truman Hotel to see if they had any answers. However, it was past business hours and no one could comment.At this point, those sick aren’t pointing fingers. “We aren’t blaming the Truman Hotel… We don’t know who to blame,” said Mauzy.With no idea what this mystery sickness is, those from the convention just hope everyone gets better. “I hope and pray everyone will be okay,” said Mauzy. As of Thursday night ABC 17 News was not able to speak with officials with either the health department or the CDC.***ORIGINAL STORY***An investigation is underway into what has made a number of people sick at the Truman Hotel in Jefferson City.ABC 17 News confirmed Thursday afternoon about 100 people were attending the Missouri coroners’ conference, which began on Tuesday. But starting last night, a number of people reported getting sick.Randolph County Coroner Gerald Lundsford was at the conference and is one of the victims. Lundsford says everyone was feeling fine until the banquet last night. During and right after the event, the illness spread quickly. He saw more than 20 people taken to the hospital for treatment.The Cole County Health Department is investigating and was on the scene Thursday morning taking stat