AN outbreak of cholera has killed more than 200 people in Borno State, northern Nigeria, in the past month, a top state official said on Monday. As of September 15, 216 people have died of cholera in the remote northern state which borders the republics of Niger and Chad, state government spokesman Abba Jato said. More than 2000 cases have been reported by state health ministry officials. Cholera, which is fatal if not treated properly, is an acute infectious disease, endemic in Nigeria and many parts of Africa, characterised by diarrhea, vomiting, muscle cramps and loss of body fluid.