Volume 8, Number 3—March 2002
Dispatch
Epidemiologic Features of Four Successive Annual Outbreaks of Bubonic Plague in Mahajanga, Madagascar
Pascal Boisier*†
, Lila Rahalison*, Monique Rasolomaharo‡, Maherisoa Ratsitorahina*, Mahafaly Mahafaly‡, Maminirana Razafimahefa‡, Jean-Marc Duplantier§, Lala Ratsifasoamanana¶, and Suzanne Chanteau*
, Lila Rahalison*, Monique Rasolomaharo‡, Maherisoa Ratsitorahina*, Mahafaly Mahafaly‡, Maminirana Razafimahefa‡, Jean-Marc Duplantier§, Lala Ratsifasoamanana¶, and Suzanne Chanteau*
Table
Results of bacteriology testing for Yersinia pestis, Mahajanga, Madagascar, by year
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total suspected cases | 558 | 399 | 539 | 206 | 1,702 |
| Laboratory-confirmeda cases | 117 | 97 | 214 | 87 | 515 |
| Bacteriology | |||||
| Number tested | 342 | 330 | 501 | 195 | 1,368 |
| Number confirmed | 55 | 41 | 149 | 52 | 297 |
| Number presumptive | 21 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 38 |
| Number positiveb | 76 | 49 | 151 | 59 | 335 |
| Percent positive | 22.2 | 14.8 | 30.1 | 30.3 | 24.5 |
| F1 antigen Elisa | |||||
| Number tested | 433 | 335 | 413 | 189 | 1,370 |
| Number positive | 38 | 25 | 131 | 35 | 229 |
| Percent positive | 8.8 | 7.5 | 31.7 | 18.5 | 16.7 |
| Anti-F1 antibodies Elisa | |||||
| Number tested | 365 | 344 | 396 | 191 | 1,296 |
| Number positive | 68 | 59 | 137 | 48 | 312 |
| Percent positive | 18.6 | 17.2 | 34.6 | 25.1 | 24.1 |
aConfirmed + presumptive and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent-assay (
bConfirmed + presumptive cases.
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