The government has confirmed the eruption of the epidemic in Jigawa State in recent days.
Preliminary reports revealed that those affected were mostly children aged less than five years.
Symptoms of the child-killer disease include high fever and bloated stomachs, which officials said lasted for between three to four days before the victims died.
Minister of Health Isaac Adewole has urged citizens to report any strange illnesses or deaths to the health authorities immediately.
“It’s very important for states to take more ownership of disease preparedness and response activities,” the minister said.
Following the eruption of the illness in Jigawa, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has deployed a team to investigate the situation with a view to identifying the cause of the outbreak and to support the state.
The centre has urged the general public to remain calm while they investigate.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation of some 190 million people, is experiencing severe outbreaks of illness.
An outbreak of meningitis earlier this year claimed over 1 000 lives.
Cholera and other waterborne diseases have broken out at camps housing thousands displaced by the Boko Haram terror group. – CAJ NEWS
