Madagascar bans prison visits as bubonic plague kills 33

Authorities in Madagascar have announced a ban on prison visits to prevent the spread of the bubonic plague that has claimed 33 lives.  

Prisons administrator Arsen Ralisaona says the ban covers seven prisons in the country's two worst-affected regions. 

The WHO and Red Cross  in Madagascar have scaled up their operations to deal with cases of an outbreak of the bubonic plague. 

So far 194 cases have been recorded across 20 districts in 10 regions. 124 out of the  cases reported were found to have a pneumonic strain, the most virulent strain of the bacteria which is fatal if not treated early with antibiotics.  

The organisation has also set up a community surveillance and communication response to deal with the health crisis.

SOURCE: BBC
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