At least 15,000 people have been infected with Schistosoma disease, commonly called bilharzia, in Gombe State of Nigeria's northeastern region, State Commissioner for Health Kennedy Ishaya said Monday.

The human disease, caused by parasitic worms called Schistosomes and usually associated with the passing of blood through urine, was detected in Galdamawa village, a hilly community in Kaltungo local government area of the state, according to the official.

"Health officials had been deployed to the area to attend to the victims," he said, adding that community and government officials had also been visiting the community for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

"The government had procured drugs worth 6 million naira (approximately 38,150 U.S. dollars) for the treatment of those infected by the disease," he added.

Bilharzia is common in the tropics where ponds, streams and irrigation canals harbor bilharzia-transmitting snails and its parasitic worms feed on red blood cells. The worms dissolve nutrients such as sugars and amino acids, thereby causing anemia and decreased resistance to other diseases.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet