Japanese encephalitis kills 929 people in south Asia

Japanese encephalitis has killed 29 more people – mostly children – in northern India, taking the death toll from an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease in South Asia to 929, officials said today.

The new deaths occurred in the state of Uttar Pradesh, bringing the state’s toll to 725, said Dr. O.P. Singh, the director general of the state’s health services. An additional 204 people have died in neighbouring Nepal.