The Wild might have a big problem on its hands: the mumps.

Just as defenseman Jared Spurgeon returned from a shoulder injury against the Buffalo Sabres, top pair defenseman Jonas Brodin and second-pair defenseman Marco Scandella missed Thursday's game with an illness feared to be the mumps.

They have the same symptoms — swollen glands in the neck/jaw, fever, body aches and fatigue — that caused teammates Keith Ballard (eight games) and Christian Folin (five games) to miss time earlier this season. Ballard revealed afterward that despite being vaccinated as a child, he had the mumps.

The news came a day after the Anaheim Ducks announced Corey Perry and Francois Beauchemin had the mumps and the entire team would be vaccinated.

Several St. Louis Blues players have also been sidelined this season because of the mumps.

The Wild and Blues played home-and-home in the preseason Oct. 2 and 4, then ran through Anaheim and Los Angeles at the same time in mid-October. The Ducks also played at St. Louis on Oct. 30.

Scandella

The Wild and New Jersey Devils played Tuesday's game with only one linesman because Steve Miller had similar symptoms, Wild coach Mike Yeo said. Miller recently worked two Blues games. Also, sources say referee Eric Furlatt missed games recently with similar symptoms. Of the four Blues and Wild games at Anaheim and Los Angeles from Oct. 16-19, Furlatt worked three.

"This came from somewhere else, but it's a possibility that it's inside our locker room now," Yeo said.

"Whatever we've got to do to clean it up, make sure nobody gets this and certainly keep these guys away from anybody, but the problem is you start to wonder and start to worry, is this sitting inside anybody else waiting to come out, too?"

Trying prevention

Yeo has reason to be worried. Mumps symptoms usually appear 16-18 days after infection, and people are mostly contagious three days before salivary-gland swelling and up to nine days after the onset of symptoms.

The virus is spread by mucus and saliva from the nose or throat, usually when an infected person coughs, sneezes or touches surfaces. Wild athletic therapist Don Fuller has contacted the NHL for guidance.

When Ballard and Folin were sick, the Wild put them on antibiotics, disinfected their equipment and stalls and made sure players used different water bottles and towels.

Scandella has been sick since playing in Montreal last week. He had a noticeable cough and his neck showed signs of swelling before playing in New Jersey.

If Scandella and Brodin have the mumps and are quarantined as long as Ballard and Folin, the Wild's second- and third-defense pair currently consists of Ballard-Nate Prosser and Folin-Matt Dumba.

That's a big concern considering Yeo hasn't been thrilled with Prosser and the Wild may have been on the verge of sending down Dumba, and maybe Folin, two rookies who have been erratic.

Schroeder back

At Xcel Energy Center, Jordan Schroeder won a state championship with St. Thomas Academy in 2006 and scored his first collegiate goal in 2008. Thursday, the Prior Lake-born, 24-year-old forward became the 19th ex-Gopher to play for the Wild.

He skated on an all-Gophers line with Erik Haula and Thomas Vanek.

"It's pretty cool. You don't see that too often in the NHL," Schroeder said.

If recalled Stu Bickel ever plays for the Wild, he'll be the 20th former Gopher; Bickel was scratched for a fourth time this season.

Parise close

Zach Parise, skating daily, missed his fourth game with a concussion.

"He's getting close, but we just have to make sure we're following protocol." Yeo said. "We desperately want him back in the lineup, but we have to make sure when he comes back he's staying in the lineup."