Last week, doctors treating the ailing infants in medical camps across the country described the widespread outbreak of the infection of the respiratory tract, mostly in newborns, as 'very alarming'.

In the past two weeks, 55 infants died of the deadly infection, largely caused by two leading types of bacteria that attack and cause inflammation of the lung.

Characterised by cough and fast laborious breathing, pneumonia or infection of the lower part of the lungs has infected 13,408 newborns in flood shelters since August 1.

Doctors said every day about 10 to 15 pneumonia-infected children are reporting to different medical camps in flood-hit areas.

Diarrhoea outbreak, meanwhile, continued to spread in the flood affected areas. According to health directorate sources, two more patients died of the water-borne disease while 5,926 more people were added to diarrhoea-infected patients yesterday, bringing the tally of sufferers to 1,76,041 since July 12.

Another 2763 dysentery patients reported to various medical camps yesterday. A total of 31,830 people fell sick of the disease, which infects the intestine.

Skin and eye diseases also soared in flood shelters with 26,494 patients reporting to medical camps. Snake bites claimed lives of 64 people in flood affected areas so far including two yesterday.

Another 44 people fell victim to dengue in the capital. A total of 2,097 people have been treated for the mosquito borne disease, which claimed five lives since June, in various city hospitals since the monsoon set in, health directorate sources added.