Sources of drinking water are to be cleaned up

A state health official told a BBC correspondent in Hyderabad that the virus was spread by the combination of a heat wave followed by monsoon rains, but the outbreak was now starting to decline.

Doctors say the disease spreads quickly among poor children in rural areas, where they are bitten by infected mosquitoes.

The state health official said a campaign was now underway to clean drains where the insects breed.

"We have found that the people living in the periphery of the villages, especially near the fields and water bodies, have fallen victim to this disease," P Laxmi Rajyam, director of health services for Andhra Pradesh told the AP news agency.

Confusion

She said the viral meningo encephalitis, which causes inflammation of the brain, has affected at least 196 children across the state.

The disease hits India every year, but usually in the drier months of October-December and causes fewer deaths.

Malnourished children in the 2-14 age group have been the main victims of the killer disease.

The leading symptoms of the disease are high fever followed by diarrhoea and convulsions.

A state government report says deaths have occurred in eight districts of the state.

Hundreds of children are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the endemic areas.

The state government has been heavily criticised over the way it has tackled the crisis.

Medical experts and opposition parties blame the authorities for not taking correct preventive measures and not reacting quickly enough when the outbreak occurred.

The state's chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, has admitted to "some laxity" on the part of health department officials over preventive measures.

Mr Naidu has offered 50,000 rupees ($1,000) each to the families of the dead children and 5,000 rupees to other children affected by the disease.

The government is carrying out a sanitation drive. People's representatives, officials and non-governmental organisations will fan out across the state to clean all drinking water sources, remove garbage, clear drains and take anti-mosquito measures.