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31 children die of mysterious disease in eastern India

06 June 2012 18:51 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Indian health authorities Wednesday confirmed that a total of 31 children have died due to a mysterious disease in the eastern state of Bihar in the past 10 days, while 50 others are undergoing treatment at various hospitals, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The deaths took place in the state’s Muzaffarpur and Gaya districts, though the cause of the deaths are yet to be ascertained, a senior health official said. "While 23 children have died in Muzaffarpur, eight others have died in Gaya. Some 50 are admitted to various hospitals where the condition of some are said to be serious," he said, on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile the state government has denied reports that the children were dying due to suspected encephalitis, a mosquito- borne disease. "The causes are yet to be ascertained," Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey told the media.

Last year, some 150 people died due to encephalitis in Bihar which is said to be one of the country’s most backward states.