I see an old childhood nemesis is once again making the rounds on college campuses across the nation. The childhood nemesis I speak of is the Mumps. And yes, the mumps have once again found their way on campus at LSU.

There was a similar outbreak of the disease a few years back. And now, based on reports from the Louisiana Department of Health several new cases have been reported on campus at LSU. In fact, there are five confirmed cases near the Baton Rouge campus. Doctors with the Department of Health are looking into each case to see if there is a commonality between them.

If you're not exactly sure what mumps are, here is the basic description of the malady according to the Mayo Clinic website.

Mumps is a viral infection that primarily affects saliva-producing (salivary) glands that are located near your ears. Mumps can cause swelling in one or both of these glands.

The disease presents similar symptoms to those of the common cold. However, with mumps, there is swelling associated with the disease that often manifests in the neck and throat area.

Yes, there is a vaccine for the mumps and for the most part the disease remains controlled with the exception of the scattered outbreaks that seem to appear every year on college campuses across the nation.

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