Cheerleaders may have been exposed to mumps at a national competition in Dallas that drews more than 25,000 people from 39 states, letters from Dallas health officials informed them after finding out that someone with the illness attended it last month.
Department of State Health Services spokesman Chris Van Deusen told The Washington Post that the patient had traveled to the competition from another state. Van Deusen also said that there had been no cases of mumps in Texas connected to the competition and that the incubation period will soon end.
No reports have come to the department from any other states, according to the Post. The participants were told in the letter to watch for symptoms of the virus, which include fever, headache and muscle aches, a swollen jaw and cheeks. Symptoms usually occur 16 to 18 days after exposure, the CDC reported.
"If you, your child, or any other individuals linked to this event experience or have experienced mumps symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider and inform them of your exposure to mumps," state health official Antonio Aragon wrote in the letter, the Post reported.
The National Cheerleaders Association said on Twitter that over 25,000 people came to the competition from 39 states and 9 countries between Feb. 23 and 25 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.
The virus is spread by breathing saliva droplets from the coughing or sneezing of someone who is infected or from sharing cups or utensils with an infected person, the Mayo Clinic said.
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