This archive report was first published on 14 July 2019.
Madagascar, a poverty-stricken nation off the east coast of Africa, is facing a severe outbreak of the Black Death plague.
As of October 18, 2017, the highly contagious plague has claimed 75 lives in less than two months, making it one of the deadliest to ever hit the island.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a total of 805 infections since October 1, 2017, with Antananarivo, the country's capital, being the hardest hit.
The plague bacteria develop in rodents and are carried by fleas, with the pneumonic version being transferred through coughing in humans and potentially fatal within 72 hours.
Despite the government's appeal for calm, the outbreak has sparked panic across the island.
Madagascar has frequently suffered plague outbreaks every year since the 1980s, mostly sparked by mice fleeing forest fires.
