India's encephalitis death toll reaches 110 and most are children

Aug 21 2005

The deaths of another twenty people in an encephalitis outbreak in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh has taken the toll to 110 as of Saturday.

According to a health official most of the deaths, reported in the last 36 hours, were of children.

More than 170 people are now in hospital, many of them in critical condition.

In Gorakhpur town, which has been worst hit by the outbreak, health official K.P. Kushwaha has said that although Encephalitis is a perennial problem during the rainy season, the situation this year is quite alarming.

During this year's monsoon season, which runs from June to September, India has suffered serious flooding and Encephalitis has been rife in the northern Indian state.

Encephalitis is an acute form of brain fever, caused by a virus spread by mosquitoes and it proliferates in water-logged parts of India during the monsoon season.

About 50 people died last year of the disease in Uttar Pradesh.

As a direct result of the floods, in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, and adjacent areas, 210 people have died of diseases such as leptospirosis, gastroenteritis and malaria after the worst floods in history hit the region three weeks ago.