Post by Trades on Nov 6, 2017 12:25:23 GMT -5
DANCING WITH DEATH Madagascar plague is spreading because relatives are digging up their Black Death corpses and DANCING as part of ancient Famadihana ritual
Madagascans have been told to stop the traditional practice of Famadihana - which sees locals dig up deceased relatives and dance with them before they are re-buried.
It is feared the ceremony has helped spread an outbreak of pneumonic plague that has left more than 120 dead on the African island.
The country's health chief Willy Randriamarotia said: "If a person dies of pneumonic plague and is then interred in a tomb that is subsequently opened for a Famadihana, the bacteria can still be transmitted and contaminate whoever handles the body."
One said: "I have participated in at least 15 Famadihana ceremonies and I've never caught the plague."
The latest warning came as British aid workers said the epidemic will get worse before it gets better.
Olivier Le Guillou of Action Against Hunger said: "The epidemic is ahead of us, we have not yet reached the peak."
As many as 50 aid workers are believed to have been among the 1,200 people infected with the more dangerous airborne pneumonic strain of the disease.
The Sun revealed yesterday how warnings have been issued for NINE countries surrounding Madagascar amid fears the disease could spread via sea trade and flight routes.
The nine countries the WHO has warned of being at risk are:
Kenya
Ethiopia
South Africa
Mozambique
Tanzania
Reunion
Mauritius
Seychelles
Comoros
The medieval disease notoriously wiped out one third of Europe's population in the 13th and 14th centuries in one of the most devastating pandemics in human history known as the Black Death.
Dr Ashok Chopra, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas, told The Sun Online the crisis in Madagascar had yet to peak.
He warned it was possible for the deadly plague to move further into the region given the regular flights going in and out of the country.
Dr Chopra said: "If they are travelling shorter distances and they're still in the incubation period, and they have the pneumonic (form) then they could spread it to other places.
"We don't want to have a situation where the disease spreads so fast it sort of gets out of control."
It is feared the ceremony has helped spread an outbreak of pneumonic plague that has left more than 120 dead on the African island.
The country's health chief Willy Randriamarotia said: "If a person dies of pneumonic plague and is then interred in a tomb that is subsequently opened for a Famadihana, the bacteria can still be transmitted and contaminate whoever handles the body."
One said: "I have participated in at least 15 Famadihana ceremonies and I've never caught the plague."
The latest warning came as British aid workers said the epidemic will get worse before it gets better.
Olivier Le Guillou of Action Against Hunger said: "The epidemic is ahead of us, we have not yet reached the peak."
As many as 50 aid workers are believed to have been among the 1,200 people infected with the more dangerous airborne pneumonic strain of the disease.
The Sun revealed yesterday how warnings have been issued for NINE countries surrounding Madagascar amid fears the disease could spread via sea trade and flight routes.
The nine countries the WHO has warned of being at risk are:
Kenya
Ethiopia
South Africa
Mozambique
Tanzania
Reunion
Mauritius
Seychelles
Comoros
The medieval disease notoriously wiped out one third of Europe's population in the 13th and 14th centuries in one of the most devastating pandemics in human history known as the Black Death.
Dr Ashok Chopra, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas, told The Sun Online the crisis in Madagascar had yet to peak.
He warned it was possible for the deadly plague to move further into the region given the regular flights going in and out of the country.
Dr Chopra said: "If they are travelling shorter distances and they're still in the incubation period, and they have the pneumonic (form) then they could spread it to other places.
"We don't want to have a situation where the disease spreads so fast it sort of gets out of control."
