Encephalitis causes high fevers and vomiting and ultimately can leave patients comatose. It is preventable, but health authorities say they don't have enough money for a statewide immunization program.

More than 300 villages have been hit by flooding from the Ghaghra River in the eastern part of the state, where at least 14 people have died since Friday, Uttar Pradesh state spokesman Surendra Srivastava said.

"People are dying from house collapses, snake bites, and two children were washed away by the swirling water of the river," Srivastava said in Lucknow, the state capital.

Outbreak of Encephalitis

An outbreak of encephalitis in the state killed 12 more children, raising the death toll from the disease to 212 in just over two weeks, said DP Mishra, a director of the state's health services. About 80 others have died from other monsoon-related causes.

Encephalitis often spreads during the monsoon season because of an increase in the number of mosquitoes, which breed in puddles of water.

The outbreak of encephalitis was initially confined to Gorakhpur, 250 kilometers (165 miles) east of Lucknow, and other eastern areas of the state.

But officials said cases are now being reported in other areas as well. Health Minister Jaiveer Singh said in a statement Saturday that the disease has spread to 22 new districts. Uttar Pradesh has 70 districts with a total population of 180 million.

Mishra said more than 300 patients, mostly children, are currently being treated in hospitals.

Preventable by Vaccinations

Encephalitis causes high fevers and vomiting and ultimately can leave patients comatose. It is preventable by vaccinations, but state health authorities say they don't have enough money for a statewide immunization program.

The army has been called out to help flood rescue efforts in Azamgarh, one of the worst-hit areas 300 kilometers (185 miles) northeast of Lucknow, Srivastava said. More than 300,000 people have been affected.

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