The newest warning about the outbreak of the airborne pneumonic plague, or black death, in Madagascar has been released.
Officials warn that it’s inevitable that this bacterial infection that’s infected over 2000 people will become resistant to antibiotics.
The only way to treat a person who has contracted the plague is with antibiotics.
But experts now warn that because they are being used so much to treat the infection, antibiotics resistance is inevitable and making this disease much more terrifying.
Once the bacteria is resistant, the Madagascar healthcare system will be overwhelmed, and the disease will have control of the nation.
According to the Daily Mail, Madagascar’s healthcare system will be unable to cope if the deadly plague outbreak continues to escalate, a scientist has warned.
Scores of doctors and nurses have been struck down with the disease, which is predicted to gather momentum in the coming weeks and there are growing fears hospitals will be unable to meet the illness’ burden.
Official figures reveal at least 2,034 people have been infected with the “medieval disease” so far in what has been described as the “worst outbreak in 50 years.”
Although the plague is responding well to antibiotics right now, drug resistance is also an increasing concern amongst experts who predict it will vastly accelerate the disease’s death toll.
Professor John Joe McFadden from the University of Surrey told MailOnline: “Fortunately in [the] plague, it has not developed much antibiotic resistance. If that kicks in, the plague will be far, far scarier. If you throw more and more antibiotics at patients, antibiotic resistance is more or less inevitable.”
Dr. Derek Gatherer, from Lancaster University’s biomedical and life-sciences department, told MailOnline the country would struggle “to cope” if cases continue to spiral. “Madagascar, typically like many African countries, doesn’t have many doctors. There are around three-and-a-half thousand doctors for 22 million people. They only have around 6,000 hospital beds, so they aren’t particularly well positioned to cope with these kinds of events. And if it wasn’t for the international aid coming in things would definitely be much worse for them.”
And experts continue to fear the healthcare system is on the brink of being overwhelmed. Should the disease actually spread to the African mainland, it will be all but impossible to control and the health care system would certainly be unable to handle the outbreak at that point, making a global pandemic much more likely.
They risk infecting others as they flee back home – despite being riddled with the dangerous contagion.
A doctor at a plague hospital in the Madagascan capital of Antananarivo revealed the horrifying development yesterday.
This comes as fears grow that the outbreak could go global – leading to millions dying.
The Central Anti-Plague Hospital Ambohimindra is one of six hospitals that treat plague in the city with a population of 8.6m.
Madagascar’s plague outbreak has killed 165 people so far, infecting more than 2,000, making 2017 this hospital’s busiest year.
It’s a deadly pneumonic plague which can pass from person to person through coughing and kills within 24 hours.
But incredibly, Dr Marielle Zaramisy, the hospital’s chief of medicine, has revealed infected patients are fleeing from hospitals and denying themselves potentially life-saving treatment which could speed up the spread.
One patient who managed to get away made it all the way home before doctors forced him back into an ambulance.
And there have been numerous other attempts.
She told the Irish Times: “Some escaped because they’re afraid of needles. People here are not used to the hospital.”
Zaramisy said many of the infected did not believe they had the illness.
She continued: “It’s all about them not believing what they have despite having symptoms.”
Three people have died at the hospital so far from the plague.
There are guards at the doors to make sure patients don’t escape.
Zaramisy added: “This is the first time it’s an urban epidemic.”
Jean Benoit Manhes, the deputy representative of Unicef, said many infected people were not admitting themselves to hospital.
There are rumours among the population the outbreak is a government plot to get donations ahead of next year’s election.
Many also fear that going to hospital is a death sentence.
He said: “The problem of plague is not just a medical response.
“You can have hospitals but if people don’t come it isn’t enough.”
The World Health Organisation has said this epidemic is “different” to that seen before.
Nine countries are now on high alert amid fears the disease could go global.
It has been labelled the worst outbreak of the deadly virus “in more than 50 years” – but there are fears it could worsen if the disease mutates and becomes untreatable.
Even doctors have fallen ill.
The disease has been compared to the bubonic plague, the Black Death, of the 14th Century which killed around a third of the population of the world.
Antibiotic treatment of the disease is currently effective in fighting the disease in its early stages, helping to save thousands of lives.
But experts say there is a real risk it could become immune to antibiotics.
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