A pneumonic plague has attacked the Southeast African island, Madagascar. The government is struggling to contain it as 343 people have been infected and 42 have died since August this year.
This plague is an infectious disease that is transmitted from animal to human mainly through rodents and fleas. The bacteria is Yersinia pestis, that is highly infectious and is transmitted if a human comes in contact with the infected rodent. This type of plague has a 100% fatality rate if left untreated within 24 hours of contracting the disease.
At present, reports suggest that the plague has gone through 20 districts in 10 different regions.
The World Health Organization has already got into action and sent 1.2 million doses of antibiotics. The antibiotics are not just to treat the infected but also prevent it from spreading.
The WHO has also sanctioned $ 1.5 million as emergency funding for Madagascar to cope with the outbreak. Apart from the WHO doing their part, Malagasy Red Cross has deployed 700 volunteers to trace the disease as well as monitoring the infected and providing awareness among the communities.
The government has shut down all schools and banned crowds from gathering as a precaution. The people of Madagascar have been advised to wear face masks to avoid further spread of the disease.
This outbreak is unusual as the plagues that generally affect Madagascar are bubonic but this is a pneumonic plague that is easily transmitted from person to person.
