A DOZEN students at University College Winchester have been struck down with the mumps virus.

Medical staff at the university say the outbreak is under control and students are being warned about possible symptoms and what to do if they suspect they have contracted the illness.

Special clinics are being held and widespread testing is under way to discover the extent of the suspected outbreak.

So far 12 youngsters have been provisionally diagnosed with the disease, though medical experts are still awaiting the result of tests conducted on the patients' saliva before confirming the outbreak.

A spokesman for the college said the sick students had been diagnosed with mumps by their own GPs and that the diagnosis had so far only been based on physical symptoms including swelling in the saliva glands, fever and loss of appetite.

Mumps is not a killer in itself, but can lead to far more serious complications such as encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and even meningitis (inflammation of the brain lining and spinal cord).

The spokesman added that students concerned about the illness are being offered saliva tests and that two mumps, measles and rubella clinics had already been held with two more scheduled for later this month.

The clinic will ensure students are up to date with both immunisation against the three diseases and information on how to correctly identify symptoms.

Meanwhile any students suspected of having mumps are being sent home to minimise the risk of others catching the contagious disease.