41 more Indians died of Japanese encephalitis overnight

Japanese encephalitis killed 41 people overnight in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, pushing the death toll since the start of the outbreak in midsummer to 393, officials said Friday.

More than 1,100 patients, mostly children, were being treated in government hospitals across the state Friday and doctors described the condition of some of them as serious, the AP informs.

Japanese encephalitis is spread from pigs to humans by mosquitos. Children are more susceptible to the disease and most of the dead in the outbreak have been under age 15.

Pravda.ru reported earlier, that Japanese encephalitis has killed 41 children in one day in northern India Wednesday.

The state's top health official, Dr. O.P. Singh, said 41 children had died of Japanese encephalitis overnight, pushing the death toll to 393 since the outbreak began in late July.

Japanese encephalitis causes high fever and vomiting and can sometimes lead to coma and death. It is spread by mosquitos that breed in water puddles left by annual monsoon rains that run from June through September.