Bubonic or pulmonary, an epidemic of plague very disturbing to Madagascar

mihtiander/epictura

Published the 29.12.2017 at 18: 40

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pesteépidémieMadagascar

Although it is now under control, the epidemic of plague has been, frankly, unusual this year in Madagascar.
Each year, more than 300 cases of plague are reported in Madagascar during the epidemic season, which runs from September to April. But this year, it is 2 348 Madagascar were infected by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and among them, 202 have succumbed to the disease.
According to figures from the World Health Organization, worldwide each year, about 600 people catch the plague and from 2010 to 2015, there was 3248 cases of plague in the world, including 584 deaths.

A more severe epidemic

Unlike previous years, three-quarters of the patients were this year with the pulmonary form of plague, which is considerably more serious and more deadly than the form bubonic plague.
If the form bubonic plague is transmitted by fleas that thrive on the rodents, the pulmonary form is transmitted through the drops of salives in particular evicted at the time of the cough. The lung infection is responsible for a short illness, which can kill between twenty-four and seventy-two hours.
Another novelty 2017, the epidemic of Madagascar has been almost general, and it has touched the major cities, including the capital, Antananarivo, while it was only the rural areas in the other years.

An epidemic under control

Assisted by WHO, the government’s response has been vigorous.
It has closed schools and universities to undertake a disinfection and limit the spread. Dams sanitation have been installed on the main roads of the country and at the entrance of the meeting places and officers were in charge of controlling the temperature of travellers. The government has also set up a toll-free number and has spread messages of prevention. This public health response has been effective.

On 27 November, the ministry of Health officially proclaimed ” the end of the epidemic of pneumonic plague urban “, but the surveillance must continue.