Bubonic plague spread by flea-infested rats has killed at least 11 people and sickened 30 others in eastern Zambia in the past week, authorities said Wednesday. Emergency medical teams have been sent to Zambia's Patauke district, the state Central Board of Health said. The disease is usually fatal within days if not treated immediately, board spokesman Ben Chirwa said.
Victims suffer swollen glands and fever.
The illness is transmitted by fleas on plague-infected rats and other bush animals, Chirwa said. After the animal dies, the fleas seek a new host, human or animal. The bacteria also can be inhaled, causing pneumonia and rapid death if left untreated. Plague was first recorded in the southern African nation in 1936. The most serious outbreak in 1997 claimed 25 lives.