Dipayal, October 14:

Eights persons have died of an unidentified disease that spread at a remote Belapur VDC in Dadeldhura district since the past two weeks. Over hundred locals of the VDC and villagers of some bordering villages have fallen sick because of the unknown disease. One local Bisna Devi Bista today informed this daily over telephone three persons each died of the disease in Sirod and Belapur villages, while one each died in Pathan and Suwakot villages. Most of the people affected by the disease are children and elderly people.

According to a local, Ganesh Bista, there is no assistant health worker or a assistant nursing midwife in the health post since the past one year. “The sub health post is run by rural health worker and there is no medicine,” Ganesh said. Fever, headache, running nose, pain on hands and legs, difficulty in respiration are the symptoms of the disease. Mainly children and elderly people have been infected from this disease, Bista said. “Some patients have gone to the district headquarters for treatment while others have no option other than remaining at the village without receiving any treatment,” Bista said.

According to locals, the District Public Heath Office has been informed about this disease but

no health worker has arrived there. Dadeldhura Chief District Officer (CDO), Dil Bahadur Ghimire, said he received information about the unidentified disease at Belapur and surrounding areas. “Health workers will be dispatched for the villages from the district headquarters tomorrow,” CDO said over telephone.