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Bubonic Plague in Africa
Humans have had a long history of battling the bubonic plague. The bubonic plague is a zoonotic disease, which is mainly contracted from rodents and flies that carry the disease. The rough translation of the name bubonic means swollen gland. The plague is characterized by swollen lymph nodes under the armpit and on the groin. There are many more symptoms however; those experiencing the bubonic plague may feel the chills, malaise, high fever, muscle cramps, and seizures. The bubonic plague is a disease with a strikingly high mortality rate, for those who go untreated 66% will die within four days. One of humanity's most noteworthy bouts with the dangerous bubonic plague was during the middle ages. It was this term that the infamous Black Death occurred. In a relatively short period during the 14th century, a staggering 75 million people lost their lives to the bubonic plague; a figure that is the equivalent to anywhere from 30-60% of Europe at the time. After sanitation was improved, the decrease rodent population led to less spread of the disease. Though advances in medicine since the 14th century have obviously been vast, there is still no vaccine for the plague and it is for that reason that the bubonic plague still emerges in modern times. One of the more noteworthy incidences has been a reoccurring emergence of the bubonic plague in the African country of Madagascar in the mid to late 1990s.
Between the years of 1995 to 1998 alone, there were 1,700 reported cases of bubonic plague in the coastal city of Mahajanga, Madagascar alone. The disease was mostly contracted by males and youth and though in most cases the antibiotic streptomycin was effective, there were still fatalities in almost 8% of the cases. In present day, there are still 500 to 2,000 new cases reported in Madagascar each year. This is an alarming figure considering that most people think that the bubonic plague is an ancient and inactive disease. Why is the bubonic plague so susceptible to Madagascar? The answer to this question has been investigated by many scientists studying the bubonic plague. It is agreed upon that the bubonic plague is still likely to spread in areas that are similar to the unsanitary, sordid conditions of centuries ago. In many poverty stricken districts of Madagascar, residents are in overcrowded, dirty spaces. The contact among humans, rats and other rodents in these areas, along with the increased possibility of contraction in dry and cool seasons, makes Madagascar a hot bed for the bubonic plague.
Though the cases of bubonic plague are much higher in Madagascar than in other countries, the continued and constant presence of the bubonic plague in the world is an environmental issue. Contrary to popular belief, many health officials believe that the bubonic plague is an important international public health issue. The bubonic plague is one characterized by going off the grid for long periods of time and them resurfacing in varying strength. Now that the plague has surfaced in Madagascar it needs to be eradicated. The bubonic plague has been proven to be able to cripple the human population if given the opportunity. For this reason, the cases of Madagascar have been of great interest to scientists across the globe. Through the proper investigation and understanding of the bubonic plague, it may become possible to predict outbreaks and counteract the detrimental effects that the plague has on one's immune system. Until the bubonic plague is completely disarmed and is no longer able to kill a significant percentage of humans that contract the plague, it will still be a threat to human health and safety.
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