The Nigerian Health Ministry says cholera outbreak has hit the country, killing at least 75 people.

Nigerian Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said on Tuesday the first case was recorded at an internally displaced people’s camp in the central Plateau State about a couple of weeks ago, the German news agency DPA reported.

He added that health officials have taken steps to prevent the spread of the disease.

"Most cases come from areas which cannot access potable drinking water and where poor sanitation is endemic," said Abdulrahman Sheshe, a doctor at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

Cholera is a severe infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which primarily affects the small intestine. The fast-moving infection causes diarrhea in victims, leading to severe dehydration and possible death. Contaminated food or water helps the spread of the disease. It occurs in places with poor sanitation.

The disease has claimed thousands of lives across the West African country in recent years. Almost 2,000 people were killed during the rainy seasons of 2010 and 2011.