Would we be ready to face an epidemic of bubonic plague?

Would we be ready to face an epidemic of bubonic plague?

In Madagascar, the government has recently imposed two days ago new emergency measures to stop a plague epidemic. It has been declared 24 dead since 1 month1.

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What is the bubonic plague?

The plague is a bacterium Yersinia pestis, present in rodents as rats are often passed to humans by infected fleas.

According to Health Canada:

The incubation period of the plague varies from one to ten days.

Whatever the form, the illness always starts with flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, muscle aches, weakness and headaches) and can also cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

If left untreated, the mortality rate can reach 50%.

Bubonic plague smear demonstrating the presence of yersinia pest

SURFACES DISINFECTIONS

According to Health Canada2, in the event of a spill or contaminated surfaces:

Let the aerosols fall; wear protective clothing, carefully cover the spilled material with paper towels and apply 1% sodium hypochlorite from the periphery to the center; allow to act for a sufficient period (30 minutes) before cleaning

Plague is affected by many types of surface disinfectants such as:

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET: PATHOGENIC AGENTS, AND RISK ASSESSMENT

You are dealing with a bacterium, virus or other pathogen and you want to know more about it. Health Canada has launched an application and a website:

LAST CASE REPORTED IN CANADA

Cases of plague in humans are very rare in Canada; the last case was reported in 1939.

 

References:

1 http://www.lapresse.ca/international/afrique/201709/30/01-5138249-madagascar-durence-measures-to-tenter-delight-pidemic-epidemia.php

2 https://www.canada.ca/en/public_health/services/biosururity-biosurete-laboratory/technical-sheets-health-security-agents-pathogenes-risk-assessment/yers-in-the-health-technical-files -Security-ftss.html