Source of cheerleading illnesses ID'd; 229 sickened

The state Department of Health have confirmed that a norovirus was the culprit behind hundreds of illnesses of people who attended a statewide high school cheerleading tournament in Everett last weekend.

Officials said 229 people reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. At least 33 people sought medical care. There were no overnight hospital admissions. The numbers are expected to grow as officials get more information from surveys sent to attendees and families.

More than 3,000 people attended the "Salute to Spirit and Cheerleading State Championships" at Comcast Arena on Feb. 4. The tournament drew more than a 1,000 competitors from 52 high school squads from around Washington.

Illnesses were reported by 19 of the squads and affected students, a principal, coach and arena employees.

Norovirus is typically transmitted person-to-person.

Visit seattlepi.com's home page for more Seattle news. Contact Vanessa Ho at 206-448-8003 or vanessaho@seattlepi.com, and follow her on Twitter as @vanessaho.