At least 1,000 people have been reportedly affected by an unidentified disease in some villages of Gulmi district in western Nepal, while number of pneumonia patients has gone drastically up in the district.

According to the National News Agency RSS Friday's report, the unidentified disease gripped Darling for a week and Neta and Paudi Amarai in the district, some 200 km west of Kathmandu, for the last four days. The disease is characterized by headache, fever, common cold, fainting and diarrhea.

With the number of patients increasing, the Village Development Committees (VDCs) have fallen short of medicines, the RSS said. Young people in between 14 to 20 years of age were more affected. Classes in schools have also been affected due to the disease.

However, district public health office said it was not aware of the epidemic. Acting chief of the office Shiv Chalise said a team of health personnel would be dispatched to the VDCs soon. 　

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2008)