JAKARTA, July 26 (Reuters) - Indonesian doctors are investigating the outbreak of an unknown illness that has killed eight people and infected 22 in a Java village, a health ministry official said on Thursday.

"This is not SARS or bird flu, but it is certainly as worrying," Marwan Nusri of the Disease Control and Environmental Health Department told Reuters.

"At first we suspected poisoning, but after checking their food and water we didn't find any toxic substance."

Nusri said around 30 people in the remote Kanigoro village, in Central Java province, had been hospitalised in the past three days with similar symptoms such as severe nausea and seizures.

The first batch of eight people died because of delayed treatment, he said.

Nusri added the health ministry was looking at the possibility of a virus or bacteria that targets a specific internal organ, but declined to give details.

Another health ministry official said the illness had spread fast through the village, but does not appear to have any obvious infection pattern.

"Initial findings indicate the virus or bacteria causes liver dysfunction," said the official, who refused to be named.

So far, the hospital has released nine people, and of the 13 people still undergoing treatment, two are in critical condition, he said.

Both officials said tissue samples from the victims would be sent to Jakarta this week for further examination.

Local officials initially linked the outbreak with bird flu, a disease endemic in bird populations in most parts of Indonesia, media reports said.

Indonesia has had 81 confirmed human deaths from bird flu, the most of any country in the world.

Several local media said the victims were targets of "dark magic". Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, but mysticism is an integral part of local culture.

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