Bubonic Plague in Madagascar

[star-warrior]

The stuff of medieval horror is alive and well in modern day Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian ocean east of Africa.

History shows that the plague spread westward from the east with plague infested fleas on rats on ships that landed in port cities. In this day of international travel, it is not inconceivable that the disease will follow from one tourist destination to another.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/20/bubonic-plague-outbreak-deaths-madagascar

Bubonic plague, which wiped out a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages, has reared its ugly head in the African island state of Madagascar where 32 people have died in a fresh outbreak, according to health authorities.

Some 84 suspected cases of bubonic plague – 60 of them suspected of being pneumonic or pulmonary plague, a more virulent strain of the disease – have been reported in five of the island's 112 districts in the past month.

 

[gsdx]

Wow. You just never know, do you?

 

[pat grimshaw]

Lepers are smuggling themselves into my country.

 

[rareboy]

^ uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Leprosy and Bubonic Plague are kinda in different leagues.......

 

[darden]

it's sad to think about. this could easily be prevented with antibiotics, but Madagascar has been in a really rough place ever since the 2009 coup basically disbanded the government.

this was a great read...

Today, the plague is a rare malady. Antibiotics are largely to thank for this. However, more than 80% of the world’s remaining bubonic plague cases come from Madagascar alone, often spread within the island’s prisons due to cramped and unhygienic conditions. Last year, Madagascar reported 60 deaths from the plague, the highest number in the world. While most of these cases are the bubonic plague, the pneumonic plague (affecting the lungs) is also still reported. It is an outbreak of the pneumonic plague that has affected the village in Mandritsara most recently.

Journey Behind the Lens - Dodging Madagascars Plague Outbreak

 

[rareboy]

Pneumonia will ultimately be the big slayer of humans again within this century.

In the meantime...avoid Madagascar like the plague.

 

[Yooper]

All the newbies in Colorado (according to the latest numbers I remember being mentioned is about 200K...but I could be wrong) think the Prairie Dogs are cute..but they are HUGE carriers of Plague. It is still going strong, folks!