Plague cases reported in Ituri, DRC
An unusual number of suspected cases of plague with significant fatality
Plague is endemic in Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where cases are regularly reported in some health zones including Aungba, Linga, Logo, Mahagi and Rethy.
However, since the beginning of this year, health zones of Logo and Rethy have reported an unusual number of suspected cases of plague with significant fatality.
As of 20 February 2024, 99 cases and seven deaths ( CFR 7.1%) have been reported from the two health zones, including 84 cases of bubonic plague, 11 cases of pneumonic plague and four of septicemic plague.
Of the 21,725 cases of human plague reported globally during the first decade of the 21st century, 97 percent of the cases were reported from the African continent, according to a published report in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 1,612 deaths were also reported during the period of 2000-2009.
Leading all countries with number of human plague cases was the DRC, which reported 10,581 during the decade.
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The next decade of this century saw a reduction in human plague cases compared to the previous decade. From 2010 through 2019, the six leading countries by numbers of human plague cases reported to the WHO were, in order from highest to lowest, Madagascar, DR Congo, Uganda, Peru, Tanzania, and the United States. From these countries, there was a total of 4,547 cases, of whom 786 (17%) died.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. It is found in animals throughout the world, most commonly rats but other rodents like ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, rabbits and marmots. Fleas typically serve as the vector for plague.
People can also get infected through direct contact with an infected animal, through inhalation and in the case of pneumonic plague, person to person.
Yersinia pestis is treatable with antibiotics if started early enough.
There are three forms of human plague; bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic.