[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Infectious Disease ping (Madagascar update)

The airborne pneumonic plague can be spread by coughing, sneezing and spitting.
It can kill in just 24 hours

Christine South, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ emergency operations,
previously revealed fears the plague could spread through planes.
She said: “With anything like this there is a possibility that somebody could be infected and get on a plane.

[trisham]

Thanks for the ping, TIK. Who could have imagined in the latter days of the 20th century that we would still be experiencing this kind of outbreak in the 21st century? I didn’t even know last week that this kind of thing (dancing with unearthed dead bodies) happened. Ever.

[Neoliberalnot]

One of the hallmarks of pneumonic plague is coughing up blood. Few pneumonias cause such a dramatic sign. This form of plague is aerosolized unlike the classic bubonic and septicemic forms of plague.

[bravo whiskey]

It’s an island. Quarantine it. Issues warnings then shoot down or sink anything trying to leave.

[LadyDoc]

when SARS hit Asia, every one going on a plane had their temperature scanned, and if it was high, you were told to get off the plane.

And when “foot and mouth” disease was spreading in some Asian countries you had to walk over a disinfectant mat to get on the plane.

Plague is treatable, and there is a vaccine. But Madagascar is very poor. How poor is it? Well, just scan all those “wonderful Madagascar is so green with people who love to live close to nature” stuff around the internet.