The World Health Organization (WHO) says that a deadly outbreak of the plague has claimed 30 lives in Madagascar and is quickly spreading through cities across the country.
In light of this recent news, public gatherings have been banned in Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo, while WHO has been passing out medical supplies, including antibiotics and personal protective equipment. CBC reports that over 114 people have been infected with the plague coined "the black death" since late August.
"Plague season" is an annual endemic for Madagascar. Every year there are approximately 400 cases of the bubonic plague reported. But health authorities state that this year's outbreak is spreading faster than previous years, large urban areas like Toamasina and Mahajanga reported plague cases before the season started in late September.
73 out of 133 – are a pneumonic plague, which is passed through person-to-person transmission and is the deadliest form of the plague. If it goes untreated, the pneumonic plague can kill someone within 24 hours. The bubonic plague, which is mostly spread by rats, kills about 50 percent of people it infects.
Madagascar’s prime minister, Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana, canceled all public meetings or demonstrations in the capital Antananarivo, where there have been six deaths in the last week.
“At airports and bus stations, measures will be taken for passengers to avoid panic and to control the disease,” he said in a televised address after meeting with the UN health agency.
The WHO has released $300,000 in emergency funds and is appealing for $1.5M to support their efforts.
“WHO is concerned that plague could spread further because it is already present in several cities and this is the start of the epidemic season, which usually runs from September to April,” said Dr. Charlotte Ndiaye, WHO representative in Madagascar.
“Our teams are on the ground in Madagascar providing technical guidance, conducting assessments, supporting disease surveillance, and engaging with communities,” she continued. “We are doing everything we can to support the government’s efforts, including coordinating health actors.”
More measures are being put in place to educate communities on appropriate preventive measures. The Pasteur Institute of Madagascar said in a statement that a “major effort” was underway to contain the disease.
So far cases in Atsinanana and Alaotra-Mangoro, Vakinankaratra and Analamanga, Sava and Boeny have been reported.
