Ankasina is a poor and overcrowded slum on the northern edge of Madagascar’s capital city Antananarivo. Waste water flows through open gutters; dirt and garbage collects in heaps on the streets. The area is infested with rats, local residents say. Many blame the state for neglecting the neighborhood.

And now, the rats have brought in an even bigger problem: the plague. For the first time in ten years, the disease has started to spread in Madagascar’s capital. A young woman from Ankasina died from the bubonic plague; she most likely contracted it after being bitten by a flea, which had contracted the bacteria from the rodents. She is one of 47 people who have died in the current outbreak on the island.

Warm climate, poor hygiene

Madagascar’s Prime Minister Kolo Roger admits that the plague has now also entered the capital city. He speaks of an epidemic on the island. “For each case, all the necessary measures have been taken to stop the spreading,” he announced. “All cases, whether far away or in the capital of Antananarivo are being dealt with seriously.”

via Bubonic plague festers in Madagascar′s slums | Africa | DW.DE | 25.11.2014.