Texas health officials have warned up to tens of thousands of cheerleaders that they may have been exposed to the mumps last month at a national competition in Dallas. Mumps is a contagious virus that causes the salivary glands in the face to become swollen. Symptoms can include fever, headache and muscle aches, as well as a swollen jaw and cheeks, and typically occur 16 to 18 days after a person contracts the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Mayo Clinic states that the virus is spread by saliva — by “breathing in saliva droplets of an infected person who has just sneezed or coughed” or from “sharing utensils or cups with someone who has mumps.