Suspected food poisoning sickens Oklahoma band members

Sunday, November 17th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ A group of Oklahoma high school students competing in a national band contest were apparently stricken by food poisoning that sent more than two dozen students and two adults to local hospitals.

Twenty-six members of the Moore High School marching band and two adults were treated and released from two Indianapolis hospitals Saturday after experiencing severe nausea, vomiting and brief fainting spells.

The victims were treated for food poisoning and extreme dehydration at Methodist and Wishard Memorial hospitals.

Members of the group from Moore, Okla., located about 10 miles south of Oklahoma City, fell ill as they were preparing for a 13-hour bus ride home after competing in the 27th annual Grand National Championships.

The band did not reach Saturday night's finals at the RCA Dome.

Although some of them ate at the sporting facility, Indianapolis Fire Department investigators and RCA Dome officials said they were convinced the illness was not caused by concession food.

``We can assure you that the band members did not get food poisoning from eating at the RCA Dome,'' Capt. William W. Brown, events coordinator for the Indianapolis Fire Department, told The Indianapolis Star.

Phone messages were left Sunday with Indianapolis fire officials.

John Althardt of the Marion County Health Department said the ill teens and two adults were being asked to list the places where they had eaten. He said it was unlikely they became sick from food at the dome.

``They all ate as a group, and we are trying to determine where they got the food poisoning,'' he said.

According to band officials and supporters, the teens started exhibiting signs of illness late Friday night at the Omni North Hotel, where the 108-member band and 40 fans had rented rooms.

By Saturday night, one-quarter of the band had been hospitalized.

``All I heard is that they probably ate something bad,'' said 19-year-old band supporter and Moore native Daniel Carrel.