Posted on: Monday, April 21, 2003

Island residents among 80 Nevada hotel guests to fall ill

Associated Press

RENO, Nev. — Health officials are investigating an illness that affected dozens of players, coaches and parents — including some from Hawai'i — at a four-day girls' regional volleyball tournament that ended yesterday.

Eighty tournament participants staying at the Reno Hilton reported flulike symptoms yesterday, said Bob Sack, director of environmental health at the Washoe County District Health Department.

Of those, about 25 sought treatment at the Washoe Medical Center emergency room and "a few" were admitted overnight, said hospital spokeswoman Judy Davis.

"We aren't even close to having a guess on the cause," Sack said. "The only commonality is they stayed at the Hilton and are associated with a large volleyball tournament."

Tom Arnott, 52, of Honolulu, said he, his daughter and three of her teammates became ill yesterday. He spent most of the day at the hospital with a 103-degree fever.

"I started feeling a queasy stomach at 3 this morning. One of my daughter's teammates then joined us and it went from bad to worse," he said outside the hospital emergency room in the evening.

"I still feel terrible. I just want to go back to the hotel room and sleep."

The tournament attracted hundreds of teenage girls from across the West. The girls play for clubs.

Sack said the girls and others began experiencing nausea, diarrhea and other symptoms early yesterday morning.

Past outbreaks at Reno casinos were caused by restaurant employees who either showed up sick or failed to wash their hands, Sack said.

Health officials plan to inspect the Hilton's kitchen and water systems today.