The mystery disease that has spread in some villages of Banke district in mid-western Nepal for the past two weeks was diagnosed as cerebral malaria, The Himalayan Times reported on Thursday.
Talking to the daily, advisor to the Health Ministry Mahesh Maskey said a medical team reached the affected villages with essential equipment and medicines on Wednesday to examine the patients.
"The disease was diagnosed as cerebral malaria (a severe type of malaria), after examining blood samples of some patients," Maskey said.
Fifteen of the patients were found infected with malaria.
"Cerebral malaria is transmitted after being bitten by a female mosquito of 'anopheles' species. This kind of malaria directly affects the brain so a person infected with this malaria dies within few days," Maskey said.
According to the daily, as many as 36 people have died of an "unknown" disease that has spread in six villages in Banke district.