ABUJA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Three school pupils have been confirmed dead and 27 others hospitalized due to the latest cholera outbreak in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, local authorities said on Sunday.
The outbreak in the northeastern state of Gombe is currently under control, according to health commissioner Kennedy Ishaya.
Ishaya said the victims, all pupils of a local Islamic school in Gombe, had been receiving free treatment from the government, adding sufficient drug had been provided for them.
Cholera is an extremely 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.
