An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis has killed 60 people in West Bengal. A total of 344 people have been affected by the disease, as per reports. The region is affected badly and the situation is alarming. Mr Biswaranjan Satpathy, the state's health services director informed that the Bengal Medical College does not have the facilities needed to test other forms of encephalitis.

Jalpaiguri district is worst hit by the disease. Dhupguri and Moynaguri rural areas are the most affected because of the large number of piggeries from where Japanese encephalitis spread.

Mr Satpathy said that the number of deaths due to the deadly disease is much higher this year than in 2013 when the figure was only five.

To tackle the rush of patients at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, two doctors have been posted round the clock at the outpatient section of the fever clinic of the hospital.

The state health department has decided to set up fever clinics and relocate pig farms in the districts in the grip of vector-borne disease.