DeKALB | DeKalb County Health Department has confirmed five cases of mumps on campus, according to a Friday campus update.

The outbreak is being contained to a well-defined subpopulation.

Mumps is an acute infectious viral disease that is transmitted in the same manner as the flu or the common cold, as it is an airborne virus. The illness can be spread if an infected individual spreads their saliva via coughing, sneezing and sharing eating utensils.

Symptoms associated with the mumps include swollen glands under the ears, headaches, fatigue, lethargy, muscle aches and loss of appetite. Symptoms usually appear 14 to 18 days after infection.

Those infected are contagious three days prior to and four days after the onset of symptoms.

Ways to reduce the chance of contracting the virus include using a tissue to cover your mouth to sneeze or cough, washing your hands often, avoiding close contact with those who show symptoms, and avoiding sharing drinking and eating utensils, according to the release.

The last outbreak of the mumps on campus had 10 confirmed cases, according to an Oct. 19, 2015, Northern Star article.