India, land of epidemics?

In the early days of the 21st century India was touted as one of the next major world powers.  But, as the century has moved along, the sheen has gone off.  The economy has soured.  Sexual abuse of women and children has become a common story.  The shortcomings of government leaders are evident.  And, today, we learn that India has about 1,500 epidemics, which, to me, seems a very large number.  Today's NY Times talks of one of the newer epidemics.  

This epidemic seems to have begun in a small town in India in 1995.  Each year it is rampant from mid-May until the monsoons begin in July and then it disappears.  The epidemic affects only young children.  It arrives quickly and can kill a child soon after onset; about 30% of those affected die. While it an an epidemic, it does not spread in the traditional person-to-person way, like the flu or tuberculosis.
 Unlike the flu or tuberculosis, little is really known about the disease other than it is a form of brain swelling, or encephalitis.  Doctors have yet to discover the cause(s) of the disease.  Our C.D.C. is working on the problem, but is still in the dark as to its causes.