Malaria Kills 112, Sickens 3,000 In India

Malaria has killed at least 112 people in 10 days in Assam state, and more than 3,000 other people are being treated for the disease, a federal official said Monday.

The state is spraying powerful insecticides on stagnant pools of water where mosquitoes breed.

Last year, nearly 400 people died of malaria in the western state of Rajasthan, and 300 died in Manipur and Nagaland states, according to a federal Health Ministry report.

Malaria often is treated with quinine, a low-cost drug readily available in cities. But India’s public health system is among the weakest in the world, and poor villagers often lack access to quinine.