NEW DELHI, Sept. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- The dreaded Japanese encephalitis continued to take its toll in India's eastern Uttar Pradesh, claiming eight more lives Monday, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported from Gorakhpur, which is the worst-hit district in the state.

    The number of deaths due to the deadly diseases in the state so far is reported to be 585, the PTI said, quoting state health department sources.

    As many as 57 cases were admitted in BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur district and other hospitals spread across seven districts from where the eight deaths were reported, the sources said.

    Some 500 patients are still under treatment across various hospitals in the region, they said.

    A specific type of mosquito, culex trita eniorhynchus, according to experts, is responsible for transmitting the disease to humans from pigs, which is the primary host of the encephalitis virus. Enditem