Regardless of the reassurances last week from Anwar Husnoo, minister of health, the plague outbreak in Madagascar is a cause for concern for countries in the Indian Ocean, including Mauritius. A man was even quarantined at the Souillac hospital with a suspected case of the plague even though test results are yet to confirm that.

In Madagascar, the outbreak is causing significant panic. So far, there have been close to 700 cases of the plague and more than 60 confirmed deaths as a result of it. In an external situation report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), released on 12 October, the agency claims that 81.2% of the regions in Madagascar have been affected by the disease, with most casualties infected with its most violent strain, the pneumonic plague.

The pneumonic plague attacks the lungs and spreads through droplets caused by coughing. Untreated pneumonic plague usually has a mortality rate of 100% within 24 hours of its onset. However, the plague is endemic to Madagascar and approximately 400 cases are identified every year. The difference with the current outbreak is its occurrence in populous cities as opposed to sparsely populated rural regions in previous years.

The WHO report lists Mauritius as a “high risk for plague outbreak by virtue of having trade and travel links to Madagascar.” However, it also explains that Mauritius is one of the countries that has set up additional security measures to prevent the disease from reaching its shores, including stricter control at the airport and the port. The other countries believed to be at risk are Reunion, Comoros, Seychelles, Tanzania, South Africa and Mozambique.