(Bloomberg) -- A cholera outbreak in the northeast of Nigeria has caused 61 deaths in Yobe state, as the number of new confirmed cases surged to 989, the government and the United Nations said.
Fresh cases of the waterborne disease were recorded in six local government areas within two months, the state health commissioner, Muhammad Kawuwa, said in an emailed statement Friday. The affected local governments are Gujba, Gulani, Damaturu, Fune, Potiskum and Nangere, he said.
“Over 795 patients were successfully treated and discharged, while 50 are still in various health facilities across the state,” Kawuwa said.
An outbreak of the disease was declared in neighboring Borno state two weeks ago, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria said in an emailed statement Saturday. The cumulative number of recorded cases in both states currently stands at 3,126 including 97 deaths, the UN said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Tope Alake in Lagos at talake@bloomberg.net;Michael Olukayode in Maiduguri at molugbode1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sophie Mongalvy at smongalvy@bloomberg.net, Jacqueline Mackenzie, Natasha Doff
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