Health officials warn about mumps exposure at national cheerleading event

Health officials in Texas sent a letter to parents warning that their children might have been exposed to mumps at a national cheerleading competition last month in Dallas, WFAA reported.

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More than 23,000 cheerleaders and 2,600 coaches from 39 states and nine countries competed at the National Cheerleaders Association All-Star National Championships held Feb. 23-25 in downtown Dallas, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said a person from another state who had mumps traveled to the competition, the Morning News reported.

The department sent a letter to those who participated in the competition and their families, WFAA reported.

Mumps is a contagious virus with symptoms that include swollen salivary glands, low-grade fever, fatigue and muscle aches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can be spread through saliva or from coughing and sneezing.

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Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

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