JimBowie1958
Old Fogey
- Sep 25, 2011
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Now this is concerning
Black Death is spreading in this island nation
An “unusually severe” outbreak of plague has made more than 1,800 people sick in Madagascar, but it’s unlikely to spread far, the World Health Organization said Friday.
WHO and the Malagasy government have stepped up screening at airports but say the infection is more likely to spread within Madagascar than it is to spread to other countries....
Plague was called black death because it sometimes causes the lymph glands to swell up and turn black. These prominent buboes give their name to bubonic plague.
But far more dangerous and deadly is the pneumonic form, which infects the lungs and which can be spread person to person directly, rather than via flea bites.
Plague is now rare in developed countries, but it’s an ongoing problem in Madagascar.
Since August, WHO reports more than 1,800 suspected or confirmed plague cases and says 187 people have died.
“Based on available information and response measures implemented to date, WHO estimates the risk of potential further spread of the plague outbreak at national level remains high,” WHO said.
But international spread is not a big threat, because pneumonic plague shows up quickly after someone is exposed to the bacteria. Exit screening at airports — like checking for fever — can help stop people from carrying the infection abroad, the agency said.
Neighboring countries, including Comoros, Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion and Mayotte, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania have started watching for plague infections carried by travelers. “WHO has also helped Ethiopia and Kenya to raise preparedness levels because of their direct airline connections with Madagascar,” it said.
Black Death is spreading in this island nation
An “unusually severe” outbreak of plague has made more than 1,800 people sick in Madagascar, but it’s unlikely to spread far, the World Health Organization said Friday.
WHO and the Malagasy government have stepped up screening at airports but say the infection is more likely to spread within Madagascar than it is to spread to other countries....
Plague was called black death because it sometimes causes the lymph glands to swell up and turn black. These prominent buboes give their name to bubonic plague.
But far more dangerous and deadly is the pneumonic form, which infects the lungs and which can be spread person to person directly, rather than via flea bites.
Plague is now rare in developed countries, but it’s an ongoing problem in Madagascar.
Since August, WHO reports more than 1,800 suspected or confirmed plague cases and says 187 people have died.
“Based on available information and response measures implemented to date, WHO estimates the risk of potential further spread of the plague outbreak at national level remains high,” WHO said.
But international spread is not a big threat, because pneumonic plague shows up quickly after someone is exposed to the bacteria. Exit screening at airports — like checking for fever — can help stop people from carrying the infection abroad, the agency said.
Neighboring countries, including Comoros, Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion and Mayotte, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania have started watching for plague infections carried by travelers. “WHO has also helped Ethiopia and Kenya to raise preparedness levels because of their direct airline connections with Madagascar,” it said.
