Madagascar Suffers ‘Unusually Severe’ Outbreak of Plague
Other nations along the east coast of Africa put on high alert
Madagascar has an “unusually severe” outbreak of the plague this year. It’s already killed more people than previous outbreaks — with five months still to go in the plague season. Worse, most cases are the highly contageous pneumonic kind, not the traditional bubonic plague.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1800 “suspected, probable or confirmed” plague cases were reported from August to October. 127 victims died. The island country normally has about 400 cases of the plague each year. It’s one of the few countries of the world where plague is still a serious public health problem.
The Plague
The plague is not what it once was. The “black death” that killed 100 million during the 14th century can now be cured with antibiotics if diagnosed within the first 24 hours.
The plague is a bacterial infection that is usually spread through flea bites. An infected patient will have a high fever and swollen lymph nodes noticeable 2 to 6 days after the bite.
If left untreated, it can reach the lungs and become pneumonic plague. This type is the most contagious, because it’s the most easily transmitted from person to person through coughing.
In the U.S., 15 people got plague and 4 died in 2015.
“This outbreak is the worst for 50 years or more,” a professor at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told the Daily Mail.
Possible Causes
“Plague is curable if detected in time,” said Dr. Charlotte Ndiaye, WHO representative in Madagascar. “Our teams are working to ensure that everyone at risk has access to protection and treatment. The faster we move, the more lives we save.”
Both WHO and the nation’s government said the outbreak is beginning to decline. However, the International Red Cross’s team leader said it may still be spreading. This year’s outbreak is “truly unprecedented” and is “not the plague as usual.” Even if it is declining now, it may increase again, he said.
One explanation for the increase of cases is the weather, reports the Daily Mail. The “Godzilla” El Niño increased the rural rat population. Then forest fires drove many of those rats into urban areas. Heavy rains and flooding are also said to have encouraged the spread of the disease.
The Red Cross team leader, Panu Saaristo, noted that cultural practices may be affecting this as well. Many won’t see a doctor because they tie “hospitals to death,” he said.
The Response
In response to the outbreak, the WHO has delivered about 1.2 million doses of antibiotics and sent $1.5 million dollars in emergency funds to Madagascar. The WHO estimates that the doses are enough to treat up to 5000 people and protect up to 100,000 people who may have been exposed to the plague.
The government of Madagascar responded by closing schools and preventing public gatherings, as well as having inspectors test people on buses and in cities for fever. They also sprayed insecticide to kill fleas.
