ABUJA, June 4 (Xinhua) -- A Nigerian schoolgirl was confirmed dead and 40 others hospitalized following a cholera outbreak in their school in the northwestern state of Kaduna, the local disease control center said on Monday.
The students were rushed to a government hospital in Kawo area of Kaduna due to the outbreak at the weekend, according to Ibrahim Suleiman, head of the Nigerian Center for Disease Control in Kaduna North district of the state.
Suleiman said 89 students had earlier shown symptoms of the disease, with many of them vomiting and stooling uncontrollably.
The official said more than half of them were treated and discharged.
Suleiman told reporters that earlier investigation found that open defecation that resulted in the contamination of the school's water sources may be the cause of the outbreak.
The Nigeria Red Cross on Monday sent its medical personnel to sensitize the students on ensuring proper sanitation.
Cholera is a highly virulent disease characterized in its most severe form by sudden onset of acute watery diarrhea that can lead to death by severe dehydration.
The outbreak is common in Nigeria due to the poor water supply systems, especially in densely populated areas.
