NewsDesk @bactiman63

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), through April 17 this year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported 56 cases of bubonic plague, including two deaths.

plague
Soon the proventriculus, or esophagogastric junction will become blocked with a bacterial mass preventing the flea from swallowing food.
Image/CDC

The outbreak is currently focused in two health areas– Rassia and Lokpa where the latter makes up 95% of cases reported this year.

During 2021, a total of 138 suspected cases including 14 deaths (CFR 10.1%) were reported. During 2020, a total of 461 suspected cases including 31 deaths (CFR 6.7%) were reported.

Plague is endemic to the north-east areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where cases were reported for the first time in 1928.

The endemic nature of the disease in this region is linked to more cases in the rainy seasons (from March-May then July-November), harvest seasons, and its peri-forest environment leading to the presence of peri-domestic rodents that can carry the plague bacillus and rodent fleas that transmit plague.

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