Malawi prepares for ‘black death’ deadly plague: ‘Worst outbreak in 50 years’ and it’s still spreading
Malawi is on alert for any possible incident of the deadly airborne plague though it has been identified as one of the hotspots by the World Health Organization as priority countries to get ready to defend against the black death, its neighours are at risk amongys nine countries who has been placed on high alert, Ministry of Health has said.
The plague described as ‘the worst in 50 years’, has spread through coughing, sneezing or spitting and can kill within 24 hours.
It is in Madagascar, has now killed 143 people and infected 1,947 people and it is continuing to spread.
South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania, La Réunion, Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia and Comoros have all been put on notice.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Dan Namarika said with “porus borders” the country could be at risk, assuring that the Ministry is on high alert and on top of things.
He said Malawi has “cross border teams that interface with our Mozambique counterparts.”
Namalika said the Ministry of Health would highlight to clinicians throughout the country on the symptoms of the plague.
Plague symptoms include sudden fevers, head and body aches, vomiting and nausea.
“We have infection prevention materials ready and groups and teams redy to be activated if there is a trigger,” said Namarika.
The World Health Organisation has earmarked £3.8m to combat disease and predicts it could take six months to stem the outbreak.
The plaque reportedly hit Malawi in 2002 but was contained .The new strain of the plague can be treated with antibiotics and the WHO cash will pay for extra medical personnel, the disinfection of buildings and fuel for ambulances.
Professor Johnjoe McFadden, a molecular geneticist at Surrey University, said: ‘It’s a crisis at the moment and we don’t know how bad it’s going to get. ‘It’s a terrible disease. It’s broadly caused more deaths of humans than anything else, it’s a very deadly pathogen.’
He added: ‘It is a disease of poverty where humans are being forced to live very close to rats and usually means poor sewage and poor living conditions. ‘That’s the root cause of why it’s still a problem in the world. If we got rid of rats living close enough to mankind then we wouldn’t have the disease.’
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
a Kaminjo, tsikani DPP. Mwasalako nokha. Ka chipani kopanda masomphenya. We want Change for the better. THIS GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED. WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. PLEASE GIVE US SPACE!!!!
What is Mozambique doing in Ethiopia?????
Zokaikisa zomwe akunena Dr. Namarika potengera zomwe zikuchitika ku Unduna wa za Umoyo, too much katangale as if there are no controllers …….. our government seems to be carefree zinthu zalowa pansi kwambiri.
While the plague can indeed be spread through coughing, sneezing, and spitting, it is more commonly transmitted by fleas living in the fur of rodents. Bubonic plague: Patients develop sudden onset of fever, headache, chills, and weakness and one or more swollen, tender and painful lymph nodes (called buboes). This form usually results from the bite of an infected flea. The bacteria multiply in the lymph node closest to where the bacteria entered the human body. If the patient is not treated with the appropriate antibiotics, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body. Septicemic plague: Patients develop… Read more »
I wish I could believe that Dr Namarika’s ‘Ministry is on high alert and on top of things’, but when it couldn’t even find adrenalin for Bingu and it’s renowned for theft of medical supplies, no ambulances, corrupt staff, it’s difficult to believe this. Will this cause another wave of panic to spread across the country?
MR/MRS NGALAMAYI, THIS IS A WRONG FORUM FOR THAT. THIS ISSUE IS BIG AND SHOULD NOT BE ENTANGLED WITH OTHER ISSUES. IF YOU HATE PEOPLE AND WANT TO EXPRESS YOUR ANGER, FIND ANOTHER FORUM. THIS IS SERIOUS. LEARN FROM WHAT MR/MRS THITHERWARD HAS DONE – ‘PROVIDING A SOLUTION’
Mr/Mrs Kaminjo, having spent the last four years in Malawi, I would say the potential size of this problem is precisely why the lack of basic essentials at ground root level is very much an issue here. I love the country and the people, but cement stolen from a clinic under construction financed by foreign donors led to no clinic. In another part of the country, the clinic built by the community was torn down by a village head who needed new metal for the roof of his house. That’s two clinics which could have been serving remote areas but… Read more »