In the last two days thirty-seven more children have succumbed to the mysterious viral disease in western Uttar Pradesh, taking the toll to 177 since its outbreak.

Seventeen children died in Saharanpur, where the highest number of deaths, 98, was reported due to the disease, which has symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis and Meningitis, officials said in Ghaziabad.

At least six more died in Muzaffarnagar, while four succumbed to the disease at Bagpat. Eight children died in Bulandshahr district while two died in Ghaziabad, they said.

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Additional Director of Health, Meerut, Dr S K Arora said blood samples of the patients were tested by the Institute of Virology, Institute of Communicable Diseases and All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi, but no concrete conclusion could be drawn on the nature of the virus.