At least 50 people have died in an outbreak of suspected cholera in the remote northeastern Nigerian state of Borno, lawmakers said on Wednesday.

Kaka Adam Mustafa, a member of the Borno House of Assembly, said the victims died last week of vomiting and diarrhoea in four local government areas located near Chad and Cameroon.

Cholera causes vomiting and painless diarrhoea that can lead to severe dehydration and death within 24 hours if not treated.

“As at Friday when the report was made to me ... more than 14 people had already died in the village,” Mustafa said on the floor of the regional parliament, referring to Abare village, about 60 miles (100 km) from the state capital Maiduguri.

“Subsequent reports indicate that many more had also died from the epidemic in neighbouring villages and so far more than 50 people have died,” said Mustafa, whose report was corroborated by another lawmaker representing one of the affected areas.

The World Health Organisation in Abuja confirmed the outbreak, but said it had no casualty figures and was unable to confirm it was cholera.

“We have collected samples and are doing laboratory tests to know what we are dealing with,” said a WHO official.

Cases of cholera have been on the increase in Africa’s most populous country where two-thirds of the 140 million people live on less than a dollar a day.

At least 150 people have died of cholera in two other states since March, according to officials and residents.

The disease can largely be prevented by washing hands before handling food and avoiding contaminated drinking water. Many of those who die could be saved by a simple mixture of water and rehydration salts.