Deadly outbreak of black death which has killed 140 in Madagascar may mutate and become UNTREATABLE
Pneumonic plague has already infected 2,000 in Madagascar and killed 143 in the country’s worst outbreak in 50 years
Ten African nations are on alert amid fears the disease will spread via airplanes
That has led to fears the disease could spread to Europe as Ebola did in 2014
Expert warns that, once here, the disease could mutate and become untreatable
By CHRIS PLEASANCE
DAILYMAIL.COM
12 November 2017
A strain of plague which has already killed more than 140 Madagascar could mutate and become untreatable, an expert has warned.
There are fears the disease could spread to Europe and America via plane travel as Ebola did in 2014, with ten African nations already put on alert for signs of infection.
Now Professor Paul Hunter has warned that, while it would be easy for an advanced country to contain the disease in its current form, he fears that it could evolve into something far more dangerous.
Hunter, a disease expert at the University of East Anglia, told the Daily Star: ‘If it reaches the UK, Europe or the US it would be similar to the Ebola outbreak.
‘We would have a few isolated cases but it shouldn’t spread like it has in Madagascar.
‘As with any disease, it’s a real worry that it mutates and become untreatable.’
In total 2,000 people have been infected and 143 killed during the current outbreak in Madagascar which is the country’s worst for 50 years.
The majority of those cases have been pneumonic plague, a more-deadly form of the bubonic plague which devastated Europe’s population in the 1300s.
While the bubonic plague is spread through the bites of infected fleas, pneumonic plague is spread through the air, usually by coughing.
Symptoms include severe fever, headaches and coughing, with patients often coughing up blood.
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