KATHMANDU, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least five persons have died and more than hundred fallen ill due to an unknown disease at remote villages of western Nepal over the week, reported the local media house's website ekantipur.com Saturday.

    Those died due to the disease in northeastern part of Bajura District, situated some 420 km west of the capital city Kathmandu, have been identified as Jasee Kaila, Mane Buda, Kala Giri, Dev Bahadur Shahi and an unidentified youth of Wai Village Development Committee (VDC), said Man Bahadur Rokaya, a local resident who has just arrived at the district headquarters.

    Other local residents informed that the unknown disease has spread to the neighboring Sappata and Jukot VDCs as well.

    The patients have not been able to get any medical treatment since there is no medicine in the only health post in Wai VDC, they complained.

    "Headache, fever, vomiting and fainting are some symptoms of the disease," Rokaya said. "The people die within a few days after contracting the disease."

    Head of the District Health Office, Dr. Dilip Shah said that though he has heard that a few people have died in the region following an outbreak of an unknown disease, the local health posts have not formally notify him about it.

    However, he said that a medical team had been dispatched to the affected areas.