A mysterious fever has claimed over 120 lives in northern Indian state Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur division in the last three weeks, official sources said Wednesday.

A group of scientists, including experts from India's National Institute of Virology (NIV) have been formed to contain the disease, the Indo-Asian News Service reported.

Besides NIV experts, scientists and doctors from medical colleges and hospitals are also the members of the group.

The mysterious disease, which is infecting about 8-10 people daily, is marked by high fever. Symptoms of the mystery disease are similar to that of malaria and jaundice, sources said.

The unofficial count of the deaths due to the mysterious disease in six districts of Kanpur division is 160.

The worst hit by the disease is Akbarpur district, where 100 people have died, said a district administration official.

Experts fear that the disease can spread to adjoining districts.

A team of officials from the Indian Health Ministry has arrived in Kanpur and collected patients' blood samples, the report said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 28, 2008)