Oxford University is seeing an increase in the incidence of mumps. College doctors are believed to have diagnosed eleven cases in the last week, eight of which have been attributed to Oriel alone.

One Oriel student conmented, "It's horrible. Everyone in my staircase is diseased."

The viral illness can be spread through the saliva of an infected person. The Health Protection Agency offers oral fluid testing to confirm clinical diagnosis.

Whilst symptoms include a headache and fever one or two days before the swelling of the parotid glands, in some cases there are none.