LIFESCIENCE: pl

[speer@interport.net (speer)]

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ARS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL 99
LIFESCIENCE
Linz, Austria, September 04 - 09
http://www.aec.at/lifescience
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                  Bubonic Plague Confirmed in Namibia 

                  Monday, May 10, 1999; 12:14 p.m. EDT

                  WINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) -- Local medical authorities confirmed
                  Monday an outbreak of bubonic plague in Namibia's populous
north-central
                  region that has killed three of the 73 people with the
disease. 

                  Dr. Naftali Hamata of the Namibian health ministry said
tests done at the
                  South African Institute for Medical Research last week
showed that six of
                  11 samples sent for analysis proved positive for bubonic
plague. He said the
                  other five cases may also still prove positive, but more
testing must be done.

                  ``Even though not all of them are confirmed to have the
disease, we are
                  taking no chances and testing everyone,'' he said. 

                  Bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, killed an
estimated 25
                  million people in Europe between 1346 and 1351, wiping out
nearly one-third
                  of the population. The disease is transmitted by fleas
infecting rats which in
                  turn infect humans. If left untreated, it can kill within
three to five days. 

                  Today, it is easily treatable by powerful modern antibiotics. 

                  Hamata said his ministry suspected the outbreak was caused
by young
                  cattle herders who came into contact with rats carrying
the virus while
                  hunting them for food. 

                  Outbreaks of the disease in the area have been reported
since the early
                  1960s, Hamata said. 

                  ``We are having all the affected homesteads in the area
sprayed (with
                  pesticide) at the moment, but you have to catch every rat
to be sure it is
                  gone,'' he said. 

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