The Clay County Health Department said Wednesday that the number of people who became sick at a hotel is greater than they first thought, KMBC’s Peggy Breit reported.
At least 19 people went to a Liberty hospital with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain late Monday night and Tuesday morning. Most of those who went to a hospital were members of William Jewell’s cheerleading and dance squad. They were taking part in the Spirit Team Leadership Meeting at The Elms Resort in Excelsior Springs.


Health officials said they have been hearing from people who were at The Elms over the weekend who also became ill and suffered flu-like symptoms. They were involved in different events at the hotel than the spirit team meeting, Breit reported.
The hotel’s kitchen area is being tested for food poisoning, health officials said. Results could be ready Thursday.
Meanwhile, Breit reported that inspections at the hotel had been conducted on Monday before the illness was known and also on Tuesday after the sickness appeared.
The inspection reports show that there were ready-to-eat foods found in a walk-in cooler that were not marked with an expiration date. The inspector also found a spray chemical bottle hanging over clean utensils and dented cans in a storage room. The problems were not severe enough to shut the hotel down, and many of the issues have already been corrected, Breit reported.
Health officials said all possible causes are being investigated.