ABUJA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Seven children have been killed following an outbreak of measles in north Nigeria, according to the government on Wednesday.
Twenty-five children were infected with the disease in Malabo village in Fufore local government area of the northeastern state of Adamawa, ministry of health officials told reporters.
"Out of the figure, seven were confirmed killed," Bwalki Dilli, a top official of the state's ministry of health said.
There had been pockets of measles cases across five local government areas in Adamawa, including Fufore, since February the official disclosed.
Measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. It can be serious and even fatal for small children.
The disease is a leading killer in developing countries like Nigeria. Since last year, there had been a steady rise in measles cases in the country, particularly in the northeast region.
Following an intensive investigation, Dilli said the areas affected were discovered to have had a history of rejecting routine immunization. But an adequate measure had been put in place to curtail further spread of the disease, he added.
