The encephalitis is spreading in the populous state of Uttar Pradesh as it claimed 10 more lives in the 24 hours in the Gorakhpur division.

The total toll of the disease now stands at 361, according to the latest figures released. Officials at the health department in the area said that 39 children, who are critically ill with the disease, are beign treated at the government hospitals and Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur.

Diwakar Prasad, the Additional director for health said that the ailing children were from Gorakhpur, Deoria and Kushinagar districts. He also said that a total of 2,341 children have fallen ill with the disease since January with the disease from the area as well as from Bihar border and even Nepal.

Health workers in the area agree that the part of the funds sanctioned by the central and the state government for combating the disease has reached the affected areas. However, they pointed out that people living in remote villages are not aware of the facilities available and lack information about ways to combat the disease.

Gorakhpur and Basti division commissioner K Ravindra Naik has started a mechanism called 'community monitoring and feedback system through pradhans' to spread awareness about the disease among the community in order to control the spread of the disease.