It is time to take plague seriously in Madagascar

The World Health Organization published in its Disease Outbreak News, an update on pneumonic plague in Madagascar. The cases of pneumonic plague are up to 51 cases now. Due to its relative isolation from a major transport area, WHO has not considered it to be a global threat. They have recommended notices to people arriving in the ports about precautions to take.
The patient zero became ill Aug. 23 and it was not until Sept. 11 after 31 people had died, was an epidemic discovered in the region. According to the WHO report, protective measures were not taken with the death of the first victim.
The best use of resources is always in the earliest possible stages, and in Madagascar where plague is endemic, why is education not a primary objective of WHO in this region? The resources needed after an outbreak begins is exponentially greater than those to prevent it or stop it immediately. I recommend that Madagascar be used as a model for WHO to launch a plague education program. It is time to take plague seriously in Madagascar.

ISIS claims to have "secret weapons" in store for Raqqa

ISIS announced (Aug. 6, 2017) that they have "secret weapons" that await coalition forces in Raqqa. Their usual approach is explosives, so one might assume it was just a variation on the explosives strategy. Their commander reportedly said, the Islamic State might unleash “other types of weapons which Allah has bestowed upon the Mujahidin and which we have not yet revealed.” 

Historically, ISIS has bragged about having biological weapons, but these require a good bit of skill and discipline to develop. ISIS seems to have no problem recruiting suicide bombers, but clearly they haven't been recruiting suicide bio-bombers, whether by choice or just failure to recruit. By bio-bomber, I mean a suicidal attacker, infected with a lethal disease, with a purpose of infecting as many people as possible. Fortunately, the U.S. military has been preparing for this eventuality. If this is ISIS's "secret weapon" then it is fortunate that with the foresight of defensive training, planning and resources of the U.S. military, they have little chance of succeeding with it. 

Financial remnants of the plague in India

A review of specialized allowances paid to government employees by the Finance Ministry of India has led to the abolishment of one remnant from a time of plague. The 7th Pay Commission, a high-level panel, announced this week, that they would no longer provide 100 rupees a month for a hut allowance. As reported in The Economic Times,

 Hutting allowance. This one continues from the times when plague used to be a big public calamity. It is granted to railway employees living outside railway premises who for the outbreak of plague in epidemic forms, are compelled to vacate their houses and to erect temporary huts on railway land or elsewhere. If you can't believe it, read on. The rate of the allowance is a meagre Rs 100 per month? Supposing the plague remains a threat, can one build a hut and maintain it with Rs 100 a month? No wonder, the pay panel abolished it. 

A 100 rupees converts to $1.55 today, which despite a weaker dollar, this does seem inadequate, although I cannot say I know what is entailed with hut maintenance.

I am sure India has a better plan for a plague epidemic, now. 

Plague in West Texas--not your Medieval plague

     Don't panic. Plague in prairie dogs is common, and we have outbreaks just about every year and it could be in any group of prairie dogs like this one in Muleshoe, Texas. See, Texas Prairie Dog Reserve confirmed plague . But these outbreaks are not limited to prairie dogs. Ten years ago, a national park wildlife specialist died a few days after doing an autopsy of a Mountain Lion which had died, and it turns out, had probably died of plague. A couple from New Mexico on a visit to New York City, fourteen years ago, ended up in a hospital in New York with a diagnosis of plague. The results can be devastating, including losing limbs and of course, dying. These are just a couple of incidents that have made the news.
    The plague, yersinia pestis, has evolved since the first recorded plague outbreak, the Justinian plague, and it continues to evolve. The next plague, will likely have evolved to yet another form, and that gives us some pause. Rodent control and antibiotics are our current advantages, and let's hope we keep those advantages.
    So the caution here, is to avoid contact with rodents particularly at a time of an outbreak in the region, and be cautious when removing dead rodents, including squirrels, cats or any mammal. The transmission to humans can occur with fleas leaving a cooling rodent body in search of a new warm-blooded host, where fleas can maintain warmth. So keep your distance.
    Have a safe summer!