Last week, State University of New York reported outbreak from swimteam

There are now 31 cases at University of Missouri, 27 more being tested

A mumps outbreak at the University of Missouri continues to grow with 31 confirmed cases.

There are another 27 probable cases of people who have been in close contact with someone with confirmed mumps showing symptoms for at least two days.

The university says it's working with health officials to control the outbreak.

Mumps is a viral infection that causes swelling in the salivary glands and cheeks. Anyone with symptoms is asked to stay at home.

Mumps is a virus of the salivary gland. The infection is incurable and can lead to devastating illnesses in adults. Medics fear a new strain of the virus could be developing nationwide

It has been on the rise nationally this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 2,345 mumps cases had been reported as of last month.

That's more than twice as many as in all of 2015.

Other universities also have reported cases this year, including Harvard.

Last week it emerged more than a dozen students have contracted mumps at the State University of New York.

WHAT IS MUMPS? Mumps is a virus of the salivary gland. It is spread through saliva, commonly on glasses, plates and cutlery. The infection is incurable and can lead to devastating health concerns in adults. Sufferers have lost their hearing, become infertile, and had swollen brains. SYMPTOMS? Some people do not experience any symptoms. Typically, symptoms include puffy cheeks, swollen glands, headaches, a fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, and a lack of appetite. Sufferers have described feeling pain in their stomach, neck, pelvis, and testicles. Advertisement

The outbreak, first reported last month, started on the school's swim team.

This week, four unrelated students were diagnosed with the debilitating infection.

It is the latest in a serious of outbreaks across the country in the last few months.

Dozens were diagnosed with mumps in New York City in August, just weeks before more than 400 people were struck down with the virus across Arkansas.

The escalating outbreak at SUNY has sparked an urgent investigation to contain the spread, with swim team practice suspended until further notice.

Any students yet to get the MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) vaccination have been ordered to stay at home for 26 days.

But the school insists tours for prospective students will continue as normal.

The infection is incurable and can lead to devastating health concerns in adults.

Sufferers have lost their hearing, become infertile, and had swollen brains.

Some people do not experience any symptoms.

Typically, symptoms include swollen glands, headaches, a fever, chills, fatigue, and a lack of appetite.

Sufferers have described feeling pain in their stomach, neck, pelvis, and testicles.

Since widespread implementation of the MMR jab, it is now barely reported.

As these maps (below) show, incidents of mumps are few and vaccinations rates are high.

A mumps infection can also travel to and infect other parts of the body.

When this occurs it often causes swelling and discomfort in the affected area.

One of those developments is orchitis, a swelling infections in the testicles which affects around 25% of post-pubescent males.

Roughly half the time it also causes the affected testicle to shrink in size.

Mumps can also lead to viral meningitis, acute pancreatitis, and oophoritis (swelling of one or both ovaries).

In very rare cases (around 0.1 per cent) mumps can cause encephalitis, a life-threatening inflammation of the brain.

Symptoms of encephalitis include flu-like symptoms, headache, confusion, dizziness, change in personality, change in behavior, drowsiness, disorientation, seizures, and loss of consciousness.

Anyone suffering these symptoms after contracting mumps should call 911 immediately. This condition requires emergency treatment in a hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).