At least 26 people have died over many weeks due to a meningitis pandemic in the northwest, Nigerian authorities reported Tuesday.
In Birnin Kebbi, the province's capital, state commissioner for health Musa Ismail informed reporters that the disease began spreading in the state of Kebbi in late January, having more than two hundred suspected cases reported.
Ismail added that isolation centers and healthcare equipment have already been sent to the impacted districts in an effort to stop the disease's spread.
Residents of Sokoto, another northwest state located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) from Kebbi, have been asked to exercise caution following the suspicion of many cases.