At least 27 killed by plague in Madagascar

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Antananarivo - At least 27 people in southern Madagascar have died from the plague, health authorities on the island said Monday. At least 68 people have been infected with the plague in the Atsimo-Atsinanana and Ihorombe regions. Most of the cases are of bubonic plague, which affects the lymph

nodes and is spread by fleas, but at least five people were diagnosed

with lung plague, which often spreads by breathing in bacteria.

The Indian Ocean island state is the country most affected by the

plague, which killed millions of people in the world in earlier

centuries.

The plague can be cured with antibiotics, but if it affects the

lungs, it can be fatal within 24 hours.

DPA