ABUJA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Acute diarrhea has killed six persons in Nigeria's central state of Niger, health officials confirmed on Thursday.
The outbreak has affected 43 people across three local government areas of the state, among whom were the dead, according to Yahaya Na'uzo, head of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Na'uzo identified Bida, Gbako, and Katcha as areas so far affected by the outbreak.
He said the government has intensified measures to control the outbreak.
Diarrhea is a condition in which feces are discharged from the bowels frequently and in a liquid form.
The upsurge of acute diarrhea cases could be an aftermath of flooding experienced by residents in some parts of Nigeria following heavy rainfall in the last few days, local health experts said.
Funto Olayode, a medical doctor, said with or without vomiting, acute diarrhea is usually caused by a bacterial disease transmitted through ingestion of food or water contaminated with infective feces.
Olayode said the boiling of water from unsafe sources before drinking, and always ensuring that foods and water are covered all the time could prevent the diarrhea infection.
