OTTAWA -- An outbreak of mumps in westernmost Canada has been traced to a religious group opposed to vaccinations because they believe such are an affront to God, health officials said Wednesday.

There have been 116 confirmed cases of mumps and another 74 suspected cases in the Vancouver area since February, said the Fraser Health Authority.

The outbreak has lead to meningitis, deafness and concerns about sterility in several people, officials said. And the number of cases is expected to jump dramatically as students return to school next week.

The source of the outbreak is a Christian community near Chilliwack, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Vancouver, the health authority told AFP.

"My understanding is their interpretation of scripture is that to immunize would be to show a lack of faith in God's ability to protect them, and therefore they choose not to do that," Elizabeth Brodkin of the Fraser Health Authority told public broadcaster CBC.

Mumps immunization began in Canada in 1969. In 1996, doctors began administering two doses of the vaccine after studies found one is sometimes not enough.

Mumps is spread through saliva and can cause painful swelling of salivary glands, testicles, ovaries, pancreas, thyroid, and breasts. In severe cases, it can also lead to meningitis.

The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control announced it has also organized a taskforce to try to curb further spread of the disease.