¡¡NEW DELHI, Aug. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Over 158 persons including a large number of children have died because of Japanese encephalitis over the last three weeks in northern Indian state ofUttar Pradesh, Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported Monday from state capital Lucknow.

    According to the report, the disease has now spread to several far areas and has taken even state capital Lucknow in its grip.

    Thirteen people died in 24 hours at the special encephalitis unit created at the Medical College in Gorakhpur, the nodal treatment center for the worst affected areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh, IANS said.

    State Health Director General O.P. Singh said the virus had spread to as far as Chitrakoot district in the southeastern cornerof the state where six children have died.

    Fatehpur district in central Uttar Pradesh also reported some deaths.

    "While the victims were mostly children, eight adults have also succumbed to the virus, ever since it broke out on July 29," Singhsaid.

    About 500 patients have been brought to Gorakhpur medical college so far.

    Hospital authorities, however, fear that the number of patientswould rise in the coming days. "With the heavy onset of rains, leading to increased filth and squalor, the virus was bound to proliferate. So we are in for tougher days ahead when more casualties are bound to occur," they said.

    This type of brain fever, which has been confirmed as Japanese encephalitis by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), has been a perennial problem in large parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh where the virus has been striking consecutively for the past 27 years, taking a toll of about 1,500 lives. Enditem