Patna, Aug 5 (ANI): The death toll due from cerebral malaria has risen to twenty with six more persons succumbing to the disease in Bihar's tribal dominated Munger district.

According to Munger District Surgeon Abid Hussain, twenty people have died of cerebral malaria in the last fifteen days.

Munger is about 200 kilometers from Patna.

The District Government Hospital has collected the blood samples of 135 people, of which 85 have tested positive for the disease, Hussain said.

The Deputy Chief of Bihar's Malaria Control Programme, Arun Kumar, along with Hussain and a team of local medical officers visiting the affected villages to take stock of the situation and creating awareness among the tribal people about the disease.

According to sources, some of the team members felt that the socio- economic situation is the cause for spreading the disease, as tribal people do not use mosquito nets, and there is dearth of knowledge about cleanliness.

Some of the affected people questioned the visiting team that when they are failing to get a meal for a day, how can they purchase a mosquito net? the sources added.

State Health Department sources said there is no dearth of medicines, and the district administration has been asked to spray DDT in the affected areas. (ANI)