Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has been suffering from hepatitis for the past two weeks, his personal physicians said on Wednesday.

A joint statement issued by PM Koirala's personal physicians Dr. Madhu Ghimire and Dr. Shekhar Koirala says that an evidence of " mild acute hepatitis" is seen in PM Koirala for the past two weeks.

"Although the features of the current illness are consistent with Acute Viral Hepatitis E, the exact cause of the illness has not been established beyond doubt," the statement reads.

The physicians have advised the ailing 85-year-old prime minister to adhere to "adequate daily rest and nutrition."

Local leading media group's website eKantipur reported on Wednesday that in June, 2006, PM Koirala underwent prostate surgery at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Nearly a month later, Koirala was hospitalized after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

The eKantipur report said at least six ministers and a dozen employees at the prime minister's residence were suffering from jaundice.

Earlier in late January, Nepali Congress leader and PM Koirala's sister-in-law Nona Koirala died of jaundice.

Hepatitis E is an acute liver inflammation that appears in epidemics. A collapse of water hygiene is generally responsible for its outbreak.

Source: Xinhua