Mahrajganj (UP), Twenty-nine children have died due to encephalitis in eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh in the last two months, health department officials said here today.

"Since January, 145 encephalitis patients were admitted for treatment, of which 29 children died, while 26 people are still under treatment. The rest have been discharged," Additional Director, Health, L P Rawat said.

The children belonged to Mahrajganj, Kushinagar and Gorakhpur districts.

He said since January 2005, a total number of 1639 cases of Japanese encephalitis have been reported. The rest were those of viral encephalitis.

Health department records show that in 2005, a total of 1135 children had died of this disease in eastern Uttar Pradesh, followed by 434 in 2006, 545 in 2007, 515 in 2008 and 568 in 2009.