Old infectious disease spreads again Already 100 plague fatalities in Madagascar

Number of plague diseases in Madagascar tripled within a few days

The plague has been part of mankind for thousands of years and in the past has repeatedly led to devastating epidemics with millions of deaths. Even today, there are cases of illness in some regions. In Madagascar, the number of plague diseases has tripled within a few days - almost 100 deaths have been reported.

In some regions epidemics occur again and again

The plague is one of the most devastating epidemics in human history. Especially in the Middle Ages, the "Black Death" claimed millions of lives. Even today, there are epidemics in many regions. Thus, the dangerous infectious disease is currently increasingly in Madagascar. The number of diseases in the island nation has tripled within a few days.

The number of plague diseases in Madagascar has tripled within a few days - almost 100 people have died. The current epidemic was much more severe than previous ones. (Image: Syda Productions / fotolia.com)

Illness can be treated with antibiotics

The plague is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Most of the pathogen is transmitted by infected fleas of rats. The most common form is the bubonic plague.

An infection is usually associated with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and body aches and inflammation of the lymph nodes in the groin area.

The pulmonary plague, on the other hand, is transmitted by droplets. It can spread quickly. If left untreated, the disease will quickly kill you.

In the Middle Ages, millions of people died from the so-called "Black Death". Nowadays the disease can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early. The chances of recovery are very high. Yet people still die from it.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 3,248 cases worldwide from 2010 to 2015, including 584 deaths. "The currently three most endemic countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Peru," the organization writes on its website.

On the island of Madagascar, the epidemic is currently raging particularly hard.

Nearly 100 people have died so far from the consequences of the infection

The number of plague diseases in Madagascar has tripled to about 1,153 cases in about ten days, according to a news agency dpa. So far, 300 cases have been confirmed in the laboratory.

As the WHO explained on Friday in Geneva, at least 94 people had died as a result of the infection.

On Thursday, the authorities in the capital Antananarivo still spoke of just over 900 diseases in which most people suffer from the highly dangerous and easily transmitted pneumonic plague.

One and a half weeks earlier, on October 10, there were still 350 plague diseases and 40 deaths.

The current epidemic is much more severe
The epidemic started in Madagascar in early September. Smaller outbreaks of bubonic plague are not uncommon in the island nation off the southeast coast of Africa.

However, the current epidemic is significantly more severe, the diseases are predominantly cases of easily transmitted pneumonic plague.

The WHO has sent about 1.5 million doses of antibiotics to Madagascar for treatment and prophylaxis. (Ad)