Current perspectives on the spread of plague in Africa

Abstract

Plague is a zoonotic disease which has been responsible for a number of high-mortality epidemics throughout the recorded human history. This review was carried out with the aim of evaluating the current situation of human plague in Africa. The disease was reported from at least 28 countries in the continent, among them eight countries are currently with active human foci. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar are the countries with the highest endemicity in the world. A unique gathering of factors involved in the disease re-emergence in other parts of the world is present in Madagascar. The risk factors affecting persistence and spread of plague in the country were briefly reviewed. Based on the data presented, it was concluded that all African countries should be concerned by the possible emergence/re-emergence of the disease. It is crucial to implement some preventive measures in these countries. These measures include surveillance of suspected natural foci, rodent and insect eradication campaigns, and public health education