Nearly 200 sick after cheerleading event

Nearly 200 people have reported falling sick after attending a weekend cheerleading competition in Washington state.

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Health authorities are investigating the cause of the outbreak, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported, with the number of patients increasing throughout the week.

The gastrointestinal illness caused vomiting and diarrhea among members of at least 19 of the 52 high school cheerleading squads that competed at the Comcast Center in Everett, about 30 miles north of Seattle.

More than 3,000 people attended the state cheerleading championships, and some officials and spectators also reported being struck down by the illness.

"The cause and specific disease are still under investigation," the Department of Health said Thursday.