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Scientists have warned Madagascar’s health system is at risk of reaching breaking point if the disease continues to spread.

At least 165 people have been killed by the “medieval disease” to date with an estimated 2,000 thought to be infected, according to health officials.

Yesterday infection and immunity expert Dr Matthew Avison, of the University of Bristol, told Daily Star Online the health crisis is likely to “get worse before it gets better”.

Doctors have issued warnings about a new strain of the airborne disease which “can kill in three hours”, local reports say.

Dr Derek Gatherer, from Lancaster University, revealed the plague could spiral out of control in the same way Ebola did back in 2014.

Now experts fear hospitals will be unable to cope if the disease – called pneumonic plague – continues to spread at the same rate.

(Image: GETTY)

Figures from the World Health Organisation show that 82 medics have been infected by the bacterial disease – around 4% of the total number of cases.

Antibiotics can cure the disease if given to patients quickly.

But scientists are worried about the disease becoming resistant to antibiotics and therefore increasingly the risk of death.

Professor John Joe McFadden, of the University of Surrey, said the more antibiotics are used to treat the illness, the more ineffective they’ll become.

(Image: GETTY)

He told Mail Online: “Fortunately in plague, it has not developed much antibiotic resistance.

“If that kicks in, the plague will be far, far scarier.

“If you throw more and more antibiotics at patients, antibiotic resistance is more less inevitable.”

Dr Gatherer said the lack of doctors in Madagascar could make the situation “much worse”.

(Image: GETTY)

He said: “Madagascar, typically like many African countries, doesn’t have many doctors.

“There are around three-and-a-half thousand doctors for 22 million people.

“They only have around 6,000 hospital beds, so they aren’t particularly well positioned to cope with these kind of events.

“And if it wasn’t for the international aid coming in things would definitely be much worse for them.”

Officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO) have warned there is a risk the disease could spread to other continents.

Scientists also believe the disease – which can kill in 24 hours – could become untreatable in the future if the virus mutates.

The airborne pneumonic plague can be spread by coughing, sneezing, spitting and other contact with bodily fluids.

Two thirds of cases have been caused by the airborne pneumonic plague.

The WHO has said this current outbreak is “different” to that seen before.

Nine countries – including South Africa, Seychelles, La Reunion, Tanzania, Mauritius, Comoros, Mozambique, Kenya and Ethiopia – are now on high alert amid fears the disease could go global.

Dr Charlotte Ndiaye, a WHO Representative in Madagascar, said: “WHO is concerned that plague could spread further because it is already present in several cities and this is the start of the epidemic season, which usually runs from September to April.”

The WHO has delivered 1.2million doses of antibiotics to fight the disease.