Madagascar Plague

        While researching current events in Africa, I came across a very alerting and interesting news. Officials in Madagascar have discovered a new plague that is spreading quickly. They have identified the source of this plague in an old tradition that is still followed in some parts of Madagascar. The local name for the tradition is called Famadihana, but also known as "turning the bones." Family members of the dead exhume the body of the dead every 5 to 7 years, rewrap with fresh cloth, and dancing with the wrapped corpses before burying them back. While the tradition is important and held very sacred in many cultures, health officials are warning that it could be aiding to spread the plague. Chief of staff in Madagascar's health ministry, Willy Randriamarotia, points out that "If a person dies of a pneumonic plague and is then interred in a tomb that is subsequently opened for famadihana, the bacteria can still be transmitted and contaminate whoever handles the body." 124 people have died from this plague in 2017. This plague can be transferred person to person through airborne droplets, coughing or sneezing. The officials have warned the territories linked to Madagascar to increase awareness and surveillance for the plague and stop Famadihana tradition as well to minimize the risk of the plague spreading.