The Vermont Department of Health has confirmed an outbreak of the mumps among students at the University of Vermont and St. Michael's College.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mumps is a viral disease typically marked by fever, muscle aches and tiredness. It is best known for swollen salivary glands that show up as puffy cheeks and a swollen jaw and can spread through coughing, sneezing or sharing drinking glasses.
State health officials said Friday that the number of cases is small. They say they worked with St. Michael's to put on two clinics this past week to give students another dose of the vaccine. Another vaccination effort is planned for next week for students living in three UVM dormitories where mump cases have been found.
