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Nearly 200 people reported getting sick after attending the Salute to Spirit and State Cheerleading Championships at the Comcast Arena in Everett, Wash., last weekend, according to KING 5 News.
Washington state health officials said they were investigating and that people who'd attended the weekend high school cheerleading competition began reporting vomiting or diarrhea on Sunday and Monday.
"At least 19 squads are reporting high numbers of illnesses," Kate Lynch, a spokeswoman for the Washington State Department of Health, told Reuters. She said 1,200 cheerleaders from 45 high schools participated in the event about 30 miles northeast of Seattle.
Health officials said they learned of the outbreak, which has flu-like symptoms similar to those found in the illnesses norovirus, rotavirus or a food-borne illness, on Tuesday.
More than 3,000 people attended the event, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association said in a statement. "Our immediate concerns are for those who have been affected by this illness and our thoughts are with them," Mike Colbrese, the association's executive director, said in a statement.
Cheerleaders at Seattle's Ballard High School said nearly half their squad became sick.
Ballard cheerleader Summer Gnoinski told KING 5, "I threw up every hour on the hour." Her sister, Karly, who did not get sick, calls herself "one of the lucky ones."
Assistant cheerleading coach Michelle Whelan says until they know what's going on, she's taking extra precautions. "I'm not letting the girls use pom-poms, signs, flags or anything else that was at the competition until we can disinfect them."
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The coach says:
"I'm not letting the girls use pom-poms, signs, flags or anything else that was at the competition until we can disinfect them."
I guess one would spray the pom-poms with Lysol then dip them in bleach. I would recommend irradiation for the signs and perhaps UV radiation for the flags.
Use the wipes to clean all the handling parts. Keep the hands off the mouth and face. Wash hands before and after the meals. Drink a lot of water. Do not share the utensils or water bottle. If there is sneezing or itching on face or eyes, use tissue paper for the sneezing and the itching. Wash hands. Do not eat raw veggie or salad.
Hope that they are all alright.
As a once old wise doctor once said, "Take two enemas & call me in the morning." I'm not sure if it would work in this case. Our old family doctor seemed to use this when he felt ornery or you nagged him about something. Did I mention he made house calls?
Maybe they're all pregnant..
Nope, I wasn't there.
Ya you were! lol
The lesson learned is to stay away from large public places and you won't get sick. Same thing with taking a cruise or flying. Every time you venture into a public location where there are thousands of people congregating, the chances of contracting a sickness goes way up. The virus probably started in the public bathrooms because sporting events usally don't have enough staff on hand to clean up after thousands of people that have used the restrooms.
You don't get out much do you? I've been on many cruises and have never gotten sick. I've been to plenty of large gatherings and have not gotten sick. As we can see, it does happen, but it's not a reason to never leave your home.
Find out which team is not sick... then you know who did it!
FYI I have also had these symptoms since Tuesdday and just started to feel better today. Maybe it's spreading?
Me too. Got sick Monday morning and puked and poo'd like crazy until Wednesday evening. Finally ate some crackers that stayed down Wednesday night. Ate like a pig Thursday, but had HORRIFIC gas all day (Could be illness, could be cause of what I ate). Friday, feel normal, no symptoms. 3 year old son has Diarrhea, but no other symptoms. No one else in 6 person household ill. Tulsa, OK 35 year old male. No association with Seattle or cheerleading. No big public places recently.
Competition cheerleading is not for sissies!
It's Obama's fault!
Funny. I felt sick after having to watch "Bring it on" too.
I'm inclined to blame the rabbit chow (aka salads). Picked and handled by unwashed migrant workers who p!ss and $hit in the fields where they work for their $3.00/day.
Try a full season without illegals in your fields, let's see if the problem goes away. If it does, sue Mexico.
Wow, your comment is the most racist thing I have ever read in a long time. You are a ridiculous human being. How many food borne illnesses have there been in other places, that doesn't involve Mexico. JIC, I am not Mexican but I am disappointed in this. Maybe the water they had was contaminated. Think about it, they usually give water during these events.
Indigo-Rage...that is about the DUMBEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!!! YOU ARE A RACIST MORON!
Reminds me of a party my brother threw when dozens of state health inspectors got sick. Oops.
A good cheerleading routine is supposed to get you pepped up and excited, so how bad did the routines have to be if people became physically ill?
Too soon?
This is just a travesty! When are will it end? First cruise ships, now cheerleading events. Remember, "save the cheerleader save the world."
I wonder how many people will post, "I'm NEVER going to another cheerleading event". We saw plenty of that for the last week re: cruise ships.
It was probably from GMO food that is being poisoned to make females unable to reproduce.
OMG !! save the cheerleaders. ( Tv show Heros)
OMG.. Save the cheerleaders!! (tv show Heros) seriously though, whats with all the sicknesses going around.
Its what was forseen to come and warned about ."Deadly Plague"
19 Another detail of Jesus' prophecy has to do with disease. The evangelist Luke, in his account, records that Jesus foretold "in one place after another pestilences." (Luke 21:11) This too harmonizes with the prophetic vision of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The fourth horseman is named Death. He pictures premature death from a number of causes, including "deadly plague and . . . the wild beasts of the earth."—Revelation 6:8.
20 Back in 1918 and 1919, more than 1,000,000,000 people fell sick with Spanish influenza, and more than 20,000,000 died. The disease took more lives than did the great war itself.7 And "deadly plague," or 'pestilence,' continues to afflict this generation, despite many remarkable medical advances. Why is this? For one thing, poorer lands do not always enjoy the benefits of scientific progress. Poor people suffer and die of sicknesses that could be cured if more money would be made available.
21 Thus, some 150 million people worldwide suffer from malaria. Some 200 million are infected with snail fever. Chagas' disease afflicts about ten million people. About 40 million suffer from river blindness. Acute diarrheic diseases kill millions of children each year.8 Tuberculosis and leprosy are still a significant health problem. Outstandingly, the poor of this world suffer from 'pestilences in one place after another.'
22 But so do the wealthy. Influenza, for example, afflicts rich and poor alike. In 1957 one strain of influenza caused 70,000 deaths in the United States alone. In Germany it is estimated that one person in six will eventually suffer from cancer.9 Sexually transmitted diseases also strike the wealthy and the poor. Gonorrhea, the most frequently reported communicable disease in the United States, afflicts as many as 18.9 percent of the population of some parts of Africa.10 Syphilis, chlamydia, and genital herpes are some of the other pandemic sexually transmitted "pestilences."
23 In recent years, the "deadly plague" of AIDS has also joined the list of "pestilences." AIDS is a terrifying illness because, as of this writing, there is no cure in sight, and the number of its victims continues to increase. Dr. Jonathan Mann, director of the WHO (World Health Organization) Special Program on AIDS, said: "We also estimate that there are five to 10 million people in the world today infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)."11 According to one published estimate, the AIDS virus strikes a new victim each minute. "Deadly plague" indeed!
Somehow...hundreds of cheerleaders throwing up sounds like an ordinary day to me.
Did they all eat from the same restaurant? Maybe the food was mishandled.
Salute to Spirit and State Cheerleading Championships? Makes me want to vomit just thinking about it!
I had the flu this past weekend - it started Saturday night came out of nowhere - lasted until Monday - still not great - but much better than I was. I rarely get sick - but it was awful - and I don't live in Washington - I live in Central Florida. Seems everyone has some kind of illness - whether it is a cold, bronchitis, flu, because everywhere you go people are coughing, sneezing, etc. - and of course nobody covers their mouth & nose when they cough or sneeze. Ewwwwwwww. I also haven't been to any big events - nor on a cruise - nor on an airplane - so it just manifested all by itself. So who can I blame???? Anyone????
Maybe if these kids had a chance to build up an imune system the symptoms would have been milder.
Parents of these teens are the generation that are all germofobics. If kids can't fight off the small stuff
there is going to be more problems, and then whats going to happen to their kids?
The Norovirus and it's cousin the Rotavirus are particularly resistant breeds that are normally difficult to wipe out because of all the vaccines and antiviral type home products being overused. Just use simple soap and hot water and stay in when you're feeling particularly ill with Norovirus Symptoms.
'I Want to Be a Cheerleader!'
Many young girls—and boys—yearn for the prestige, recognition, and popularity that comes with being a cheerleader. "It boosts your spirits to get people up and excited," says Lisa, a girl quoted in Seventeen magazine. "And it feels great to have everyone watching you!" Other youths are attracted to the social possibilities cheerleading offers. When recruiters tried to get young Hannah to sign up for tryouts, she was told: "It is going to make you popular and get you in with the boys." Some girls claim that cheerleading has boosted their self-esteem.
Nevertheless, life for a cheerleader is not all pom-poms and acrobatic leaps. There is often fierce competition at tryouts; rejection can be traumatic. Outright animosity may exist between squads from rival schools. Furthermore, some of today's intricate cheerleading routines require virtually the skill of Olympic gymnasts. Injuries are common. Cheerleaders must thus spend long hours each week practicing. As a manual on cheerleading says, one must "be dedicated to cheerleading and songleading as a way of life."
Could a Christian really be "dedicated" to something as vain as promoting school spirit? Hardly; nor would it be appropriate for a Christian youth to urge a crowd to chant slogans or to sing songs that glorify violence or idolize teams and sports heroes. And, as mentioned previously, the danger of "bad associations" is a valid concern. (1 Corinthians 15:33) Too, let us not forget the obvious problems that could result from parading around—and dancing—in the immodest attire cheerleaders are often required to wear.—1 Timothy 2:9.
All things considered, it is clear that cheerleading is inappropriate for a Christian youth. His or her dedication to Jehovah is far more important.