At least 13 people have died and 239 have been sickened by cholera in Niger state, central Nigeria, where the disease is now active in six districts, state health officials said.

“The outbreak continues to spread in six areas of the state,” Ibrahim Ahmed Dangana, commissioner for primary health care, told reporters, adding that treatment and isolation centres have been set up in each affected location.

Nigeria declared a national cholera emergency on 26 June amid a surge in infections nationwide. Cholera, caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria, is typically transmitted through contaminated food or water and can cause fatal dehydration without prompt treatment.

Limited access to clean water and strained health services are amplifying risks, authorities said. The World Health Organization lists Nigeria among Africa’s most cholera-prone countries; it also faces recurring outbreaks of malaria, typhoid, polio and mpox.

Officials urged residents to boil water, maintain hygiene, and seek care at the first sign of symptoms.

The World Health Organization ranks Nigeria, Niger and many other countries in West Africa among the most cholera-affected countries in the continent.

The region also battles frequent outbreaks of other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid, polio and mpox.

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