ABUJA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were confirmed killed following an outbreak of cholera in some communities in Nigeria's capital Abuja, local health authorities said Monday.

The outbreak has so affected six communities, said Humphrey Okoroukwu, head of the public health department at the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

Okoroukwu said the deaths were recorded in four communities in Abuja.

He told reporters that health personnel had been dispatched to the affected areas to curtail the outbreak.

The official said health education had also been intensified in the communities in the Nigerian capital to sensitize residents on the prevention and management of the disease.

Cholera is a highly virulent disease characterized in its most severe form by a sudden onset of acute watery diarrhea that can lead to death by severe dehydration.

The outbreak is common in Nigeria due to the poor water supply systems, especially in densely populated areas.