Senegal says dozens of people have been infected with cholera in the capital, Dakar, over the past two weeks.
Health officials Tuesday asked those with diarrhea or other possible symptoms to seek medical treatment.
They also urged people to wash their hands and avoid eating unsafe food in an effort to prevent the spread of the illness.
The U.N. news agency (IRIN) quoted a government health expert saying the cases were the first in Senegal in eight years and may have been caused by outbreaks in neighboring Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Cholera is mainly transmitted through contaminated food or water. The intestinal illness often leads to serious dehydration and can cause death.
Some information for this report provided by AP.