Health officials in the eastern Indian state of Orissa say 80 people have died from an outbreak of cholera in three tribal districts in the past 15 days.
The outbreak has affected Rayagada, Koraput and Kalahandi districts where more than 2,000 people have been admitted to hospitals.
Doctors say consumption of contaminated food and water by people in this backward area is behind the epidemic.
Unofficial sources say the death toll could be as high as 200.
Kashipur, in Rayagada district, nearly 310 miles (500km) from the state capital, Bhubaneswar, is the worst affected area.
A senior health official in the district, Benudhar Nayak, said at least 48 people had died there.
Serious
Six deaths have been reported from Thumula Rampur in Kalahandi district, while 26 people have died in Dashmantpur, in Koraput district.
The disease, which was initially suspected to be diarrhoea, was confirmed to be cholera by the microbiology department of MKCG Hospital in Berhampur and Regional Research Laboratory in Bhubaneswar.
Health officials say microbiological tests conducted on 43 samples collected from patients in the affected villages had revealed the presence of the cholera virus in at least 31 cases.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik says the affected people are being treated by special medical teams at various government hospitals.
Of the 2,000 affected people, at least 200 are said to be in a serious condition.
Mr Patnaik, along with Orissa Health Minister Duryodhan Majhi and specialist medical teams, has toured the affected areas and reviewed the situation.
Health Secretary Chinmay Basu, along with 12 medical teams, has been in Kashipur since Friday helping to try to contain the disease from spreading further.
An official said the disease surveillance unit in Bhubaneswar was monitoring the situation around the clock.
Consumption of contaminated water and rotten food by the people is suspected to have led to the epidemic.
The areas affected by the cholera outbreak are in the Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region - some of the most economically backward districts in the country.
Most of the victims are believed to be tribes people, say officials.
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