Regional Overview
Madagascar: Plague
On 4 November 2014, WHO was notified by the Madagascar Ministry of Health of an outbreak of plague (Yersinia pestis). The first case, a male from Soamahatamana village in the west-central district of Tsiroanomandidy, was identified on 31 August. The patient died on 3 September 2014.
As of 16 November, a total of 119 cases of plague have been confirmed, including 40 deaths.
Cases have been reported in 16 districts of 7 regions. Antananarivo, the capital and largest city in Madagascar, has also been affected.
In Focus: Madagascar
The months of August and September were marked by the start of the lean season. In general, a significant decrease of staple foods has been observed in the 3 monitored regions. In Androy region, nearly a third of communes are in a situation of high vulnerability regarding food insecurity, according to the SISAV bi-monthly newsletter for November 2014.
