Encephalitis B outbreak kills 17 in northern China

BEIJING, Aug 12 (Reuters) An outbreak of mosquito-borne encephalitis B has killed 17 people in a city in northern China in the past two weeks, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Health experts and local authorities in Yuncheng in Shanxi Province were working on urgent measures to prevent the spread of the disease, the agency said.

It quoted the city's health bureau as having confirmed at least 40 cases of the disease, which causes inflammation of the brain.

REUTERS BDP KP0852