Plague

During Epidemiological Week (EW) 28 of this year, the Ministry of Health of Peru confirmed the first case of pneumonic plague in a 29 year old patient from the district of Chocope, province of Ascope, department La Libertad. The presence of buboes had not been identified in the patient. Subsequently 3 more cases were registered. They were confirmed by rapid test.

On Epidemiological Week (EW) 32 of this year, the Ministry of Health and Sports of the Plurinational State of Bolivia registered a confirmed case of bubonic plague in a male of 14-year-old from the municipality of Apolo, department of La Paz who died on 7 August, 2010. To date, not new cases were reported.

Regarding the plague outbreak in Peru, from the EW 32 until to date, the Ministry of Health registered 27 cases of plague, of which 11 were laboratory confirmed. Of these 27 registered cases, 21 were bubonic plague (including one deceased), 4 pneumonic plague and two died from septicemic plague. 25 of them acquired the infection in the province of Ascope and 2 in Trujillo. The last case of pneumonic plague symptoms began on August 11, 2010 and there were no new cases thereafter.