Encephalitis kills 35 in India

PATNA, India, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A form of encephalitis transmitted by domestic pigs and wild birds has killed at least 35 people in Bihar, India, authorities said.

Another 145 residents of Bihar were being treated for Japanese encephalitis and 16 people remained hospitalized, Press Trust of India reported Monday.

The outbreak has been so severe the government plans to launch a vaccination drive in the Gaya, Aurangabad and Munger districts of Bihar, authorities told Press Trust.

Special medical teams have been sent to the region to assess the outbreak of the disease, which is transmitted to domestic pigs and wild birds by mosquitoes. The disease is most prevalent in Asia and the Far East.