Mystery skin disease infects 17 A doctor from the National Leprosy Dermatology Hospital in central Quang Ngai Province examines a woman who is believed to have an unidentified skin disease, which has claimed the lives of 23 people. - VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Dang Lam DA NANG (VNS)- Thirteen people from Quang Ngai Province's Ba To and Son Ha districts who were believed to be suffering from an unidentified mystery skin disease have been diagnosed with infections of dermatitis. Three other people from the area are being kept in local health centres for further diagnosis, while one more person previously believed to be suffering the disease died of septicemia (a blood infection) at Da Nang general hospital yesterday. Le Huy, an official from the Quang Ngai health department, confirmed to Viet Nam News yesterday that 13 patients had undeniably suffered from dermatitis. "The three remaining patients are being treated under existing methods issued by the Health Ministry," Huy added. All patients have had ointment applied to their affected skin and taken medicine to ease the pain, he added. The man who died yesterday was 17 years old and from Son Ha district. The first case of the strange disease, which caused people's skin to peel off their feet and palms, was first discovered in 2011. It was believed to have been controlled last August, but made a return to the communities on February 19. In the middle of last week, seven patients complained of the same symptoms, and that number has continued to rise since then. The health department has been taking measures to clean the environment in the disease-affected areas to try to eradicate the cause. The ailment has affected a total of 215 people so far, mainly in mountainous Ba To district. Twenty-three have died. - VNS