BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- An outbreak of meningitis across 11 cities in eastern China has claimed eight lives and left seven people hospitalized, the China Youth Daily reported Sunday.

Starting from Dec. 20, three children from East China's Anhui Province died in Nanjing City, also in eastern China, and five children died of the diseas e in Anhui, Anhui provincial health authorities said.

Anhui officials said 61 cases had been found, and that 49 had recovered.

Most of the infected were students aged from 13 to 18, Du Changzhi, deputy director of the Anhui Provincial Health Department was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying. Du said that the epidemic started in schools and had spread to 11 cities, including Wuhu, Chuzhou, Anqing, Chaohu and Hefei, the provincial capital.

He said students made up 77 percent of the total 61 cases. The number of cases is up sharply from 14 in the same period a year ago.

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid in the spinal cord or around the brain and is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Some forms of bacterial meningitis can be spread through coughing and kissing. Symptoms include high fever, headaches, nausea and vomiting.

Most of the cases in Anhui were group C meningitis, which generally causes more deaths than groups A and B.

Group C meningitis was first reported in September 2003 at Qingyang County. Previous outbreaks usually involved group A meningitis, said Du.

Children are usually vaccinated against group A meningitis, but this does not produce immunity against group C meningitis.

Provincial health and education authorities have issued guidelines with instructions on how to fight the disease, especially in schools, and are publishing the latest developments every day.

The China Youth Daily said China had only one group C meningitis vaccine manufacturer. Demand for vaccines was outstripping supply after Anhui Provincial authorities publicized the outbreak.