Bhubaneswar, Nov. 1: The state government today admitted that the spread of Japanese encephalitis in Malkangiri district was alarming with the death of 82 persons.

Three more deaths were reported from the district today. An official source said Ramesh Padiami of Daniguda, Ramesh Pujari of Katapali under Mathili block and Rasi Madhi of Dangasakhal under Korakanda block succumbed to the disease this morning. They were undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital.

Officer-on-special-duty Nruparaj Sahoo, who is currently in Malkangiri to monitor the efforts made by the government to prevent the outbreak of the disease, said the situation had not improved.

"The situation is very serious even as the district administration has taken all possible measures to check the outbreak. The death toll has only climbed over the past three to four days. The collector is in touch with the expert team from Delhi, which will visit the district after November 3. The situation will be investigated thoroughly," Sahoo said.

Sources said six children affected by the disease are undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of the hospital. Contrary to reports, the official death toll of the disease in the district is 26 till date.

On October 24, a member of the central team that had visited the district to take stock of the situation had said that the health department had taken satisfactory measures to check the disease. National vector borne disease control programme joint director Kalpana Baruah, a member of the central team, had said that the situation was under control in the district. But, another child died of the disease in Koraput district headquarters hospital.

The susceptibility of children to the disease has created fear in their minds as was evident in a letter written by a Class-IX student of Gumpakonda village, Umesh Madhi, from the tribal dominated district to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In his letter, Madhi urged the Prime Minister to come to the area where he lives, see the situation and save the lives of people. Madhi said he did not want to die.

Many ministers, officials and other VIPs have visited to the area, but children like him continue to die, Madhi said in his letter.

Joint director of the health department Madan Mohan Pradhan today said efforts are being made to check the deaths of children due to the disease. He also said discussions with national-level experts are being held for control measures. "Vaccination drives will be conducted in Malkangiri in the last week of December. Medicated mosquito nets will not be enough to check the spread of the disease," Pradhan said.