The United Nations has called the cholera outbreak in Nigeria the worst the country has seen in recent years. Nearly 40,000 cases have been reported, which is three times higher than last year. UNICEF reports 1,555 people have died. The World Health Organization says about 120,000 die from the disease each year.
Cholera is a water-borne disease that causes profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting, which leads to severe dehydration. Heavy rains in Nigeria have contributed to the outbreak. "The rains this year have been very severe … [The outbreak] is considerably worse this year," a UNICEF spokesperson tells Reuters.
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