Student Mumps Case Confirmed at University of Maryland

One University of Maryland student has been diagnosed with the mumps and two other cases are suspected, officials say.

All three cases of the contagious disease involve students and are believed to be linked to each other, university health officials said Friday in an email to students and faculty.

"This is not cause for alarm," the email said.

University of Maryland students are required to be immunized against the disease, but the vaccination is not 100 percent effective, university health officials said.

Common symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, muscle aches and swollen salivary glands, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Complications can cause inflammation of the brain and deafness.

Mumps can be transmitted through saliva and spread through kissing, coughing and sharing utensils.

The number of reported mumps cases hit a low of 229 in 2012 but has risen in recent years. The 2016 total as of mid-August was 1,786, according to the CDC.