Even though there is no outbreak in Ottawa, public health officials are making an appeal to parents to vaccinate their children.

So far 31 cases have been reported in Ontario, including two in Ottawa.

"There were two cases…they have completely recovered and they have passed the stage where they could pass the virus on to anyone else," says Brenda MacLean of Ottawa Communicable Disease Prevention.

Mumps used to be a common childhood disease, but has been under control since the development of a vaccine.

Mumps is a viral infection transmitted through direct contact.

Signs of the infection include:

  • Fever
  • Swelling or tenderness in the throat glands
  • Pain while chewing

Ottawa typically sees three or four cases of mumps per year. Public Health officials say the recent cases are not cause for alarm.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kate Eggins