A number of African countries are trying contain and eradicate one of the deadliest Ebola outbreaks in history. However, somewhere in the southeast, in Madagascar, health authorities are fighting their own battle: a plague that is becoming quite difficult to handle.
On November 4, 2014, the health officials of Madagascar, informed the World Health Organization of an outbreak that started in August. So far, more than 35 people had died with over 115 new confirmed cases. The first person to develop it was tracked in Soamahatamana village. He died during the first week of September.
The plague then traveled to other places including Antananarivo, the country's capital, where one death and two cases have already been reported. However, the WHO warns that the death toll may quickly rise due to the poor health infrastructure and the high population density in the city.
It also doesn't help that the plague cannot be immediately contained by an insecticide that is supposed to kill the fleas that are carrying the bacteria called Yersinia pestis.
Reports suggest that the plague may have begun with the rodents that are thriving in jails. Fleas then attack these rodents and carry the bacteria to other rodents. The fleas infested with the bacteria can also bite humans.
If the bacteria travel toward the lungs, the patient may develop a pneumonic form of the plague, making him or her infectious. The bacteria can also damage the lymphatic system and cause similar symptoms and reactions to the bubonic plague. Provided that the patient receives prompt treatment, antibiotics can kill these bacteria. Between the two, however, pneumonic plague is considered more dangerous since a person may die within 24 hours after infection.
WHO currently advises travel restrictions to the affected area as well as constant and close monitoring of the spread of the disease in the capital.