ISTANBUL/ABUJA, Nigeria

At least 13 people have died and 239 have been infected in a cholera outbreak spreading across six districts of Niger state in central Nigeria, according to local authorities.

“The outbreak continues to spread in six areas of the state,” Ibrahim Ahmed Dangana, Niger State Commissioner for Primary Health Care, said at a press briefing.

He added that the government has set up treatment and isolation centers in each affected location to contain the disease.

The outbreak comes after Nigeria declared a "national emergency" over cholera on June 26 amid a rising number of cases nationwide.

Cholera, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, is transmitted through contaminated food and water and can lead to severe dehydration and death if untreated.

In Nigeria, the risks are worsened by limited access to clean water and insufficient medical response capacity.

The World Health Organization ranks Nigeria among the most cholera-affected countries in Africa. The country also battles frequent outbreaks of other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid, polio and mpox.