From The Paramecia Dept

Plague in Algeria:

As of 23 June, the Ministry of Health, Algeria has reported a total of 10 cases, including 1 death of bubonic plague in Tafraoui, on the outskirts of Oran. Cases have been treated with antibiotics and preventive measures have been taken. To date, no new cases have been officially reported. WHO is working with the Ministry of Health to provide rapid diagnostic tests and technical support in liaison with two WHO Collaborating Centres who are both partners in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network: Institut Pasteur, Paris, France and Kazakh Scientific Centre for Quarantine and Zoonotic Diseases, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Weekly Epidemiological Record
World Health Organization
Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network
Plague Fact Sheet
Plague Manual: Epidemiology, Distribution, Surveillance and Control

From the WHO Fact Sheet:

There are three main forms of plague in humans: bubonic, septicaemic and pneumonic.

1. Bubonic plague is the result of an insect bite in which the plague bacillus travels through the lymphatic system to the nearest lymph node. The lymph node then becomes inflamed and is followed by bubo formation, a reaction in the body which occurs following the entrance of Yersinia pestis, the plague bacillus, through the skin and in the lymph nodes;
2. The septicaemic form of plague occurs when infection spreads directly hrough the bloodstream. This form is usually fatal in the absence of antibiotic therapy;
3. Pneumonic plague is an infection of the lungs caused by the plague bacillus and also has a very high case-fatality ratio.

Plague is endemic in many countries in Africa, the Americas and Asia. In 1999, 14 countries reported 2,603 cases to WHO (including 212 deaths). These figures are comparable with the annual average figures (2,547 cases, 181 deaths) for the previous 10 years (1988-1997). Over the past decade, 76.2% of the cases and 81.8% of the deaths were reported from Africa.