12 dead, scores suffer from cold, fever in mid-western Nepal: local media

Twelve people have been killed and scores have fallen ill due to common cold and viral fever amid harsh winter weather over past two weeks at Mugu District in mid-western Nepal, local media said Sunday.

Common cold and viral fever claimed six lives, five of them being elderly, in Dhainakot Village Development Committee of Mugu District, the Annapurna Post newspaper reported.

The other victims died in Karkibada, Shreenagar and Gamtha Village Development Committees also due to the common cold and viral fever amid intense cold, government officials said.

Scores of others have been affected by viral fever and common cold in the district, government officials added.

The disease was mostly seen in people at the age of 38 to 65 in those far-flung villages of mid-western Nepal.

"We have deployed medical teams to those village development committees after getting reports of deaths due to viral fever and common cold," Shambhu Regmi, chief district officer of Mugu District, told Xinhua over phone. Endit