An experience in the control of plague in Botswana

In October 1989, cases of human plague started to occur in Boteti district of Botswana. One hundred and seventy cases were recorded in total from 15 October 1989 to 6 April 1990. There were 12 deaths, giving a case fatality rate of 7%. All cases were of the bubonic type. A concerted control strategy based on sentinel surveillance, involving public education, flea and rodent control, chemotherapy and chemoprophylaxis controlled the epidemic.