Bubonic plague ravages Madagascar
Since August 1, 171 people have died in Madagascar after becoming infected with a virulent strain of bubonic plague. As of November 10, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 2,119 confirmed cases of people infected in Madagascar. While the rate of infection has declined, the WHO is expecting more cases going into early next year.
Professor Jimmy Whitworth, an international public health scientist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, stated, “This outbreak is the worst for 50 years or more."
The current manifestation of the strain has been particularly resistant to antibiotic treatment. The plague has swept into the capital city Antananarivo, surprising medical personnel, as traditionally the strain usually does not develop in heavily populated areas.
The so-called Black Plague, a virulent infection mainly spread by bacteria in mammals and fleas, can be treated with a regimen of antibiotics, if the disease is discovered early. The bubonic strain of the plague, the so-called “Black Death”, threatened human existence and decimated entire civilizations across Medieval Europe and Eurasia, claiming an estimated 75-200 million lives in the 14th century.
Read more: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/11/17/mada-n17.html
