1994 plague in India
Encyclopedia
In 1994, a total of 693 suspected bubonic or pneumonic plague cases were reported to WHO
by Government of India
. These cases were from Maharashtra
, Gujarat, Karnataka
, Madhya Pradesh
, Uttar Pradesh
and New Delhi
. Positive laboratory test results for Yersinia pestis
were reported by India. The outbreak of suspected plague lasted from August 26, 1994 to October 18, 1994. No suspected plague cases were reported in any other country.
s in Mamla village (Wadwani
tahsil, Beed district
, Maharastra state) 150 Kilometers southeast of Surat
city. On September 21, 1994 the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Health(DMCH) for Surat city received a report that a patient had died seemingly due to pneumonic plague
. The DMCH of Surat immediately informed his superiors and alerted medical officers in the area where the patient had died. Later that day a worried caller informed DMCH about 10 deaths in Ved Road residential area and around 50 seriously ill patients admitted to the hospital. This triggered the biggest post-independence migration
of people in India with around 300,000 people leaving Surat city in 2 days.
, said that the plague was pneumonic and not bubonic without realising that pneumonic plague
is more deadly than bubonic plague
.
Due to the migration of infected people from Surat city, suspected plague spread to five states. A total of around 52 deaths were reported from India due to this suspected plague outbreak.
was formed by the Government of India to investigate the plague episode. In 1995 the committee submitted the report 'The Plague Epidemic of 1994' to the Government of India. The report concluded that the disease was plague.
Some other professionals like Satnam Singh(former programme director in the WHO office at New Delhi) disagree with that conclusion. Also the origin of disease could not be traced. Within a few weeks the spread of disease and panic ended. Nevertheless, this 1994 plague episode in India is remembered for the unprecedented panic it caused, both in India and in the International community.
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
by Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. These cases were from Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Gujarat, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. Positive laboratory test results for Yersinia pestis
Yersinia pestis
Yersinia pestis is a Gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium. It is a facultative anaerobe that can infect humans and other animals....
were reported by India. The outbreak of suspected plague lasted from August 26, 1994 to October 18, 1994. No suspected plague cases were reported in any other country.
Initial reports
In the first week of August 1994 health officials reported unusually large numbers of deaths of domestic ratRat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s in Mamla village (Wadwani
Wadwani
Wadwani or Wadvani is a tehsil in Ambejogai subdivision of Beed district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-References:...
tahsil, Beed district
Beed district
Beed district is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India. The district headquarters are located at Beed. The district occupies an area of 10,693 km² and has a population of 2,161,250 of which 17.91% were urban .-History:Beed district has a long history of many rulers...
, Maharastra state) 150 Kilometers southeast of Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
city. On September 21, 1994 the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Health(DMCH) for Surat city received a report that a patient had died seemingly due to pneumonic plague
Pneumonic plague
Pneumonic plague, a severe type of lung infection, is one of three main forms of plague, all of which are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is more virulent and rare than bubonic plague...
. The DMCH of Surat immediately informed his superiors and alerted medical officers in the area where the patient had died. Later that day a worried caller informed DMCH about 10 deaths in Ved Road residential area and around 50 seriously ill patients admitted to the hospital. This triggered the biggest post-independence migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
of people in India with around 300,000 people leaving Surat city in 2 days.
Outbreak of disease and panic
News of the plague spread through Surat city through the night of 21 September 1994. People were forced to open medical shops and within hours stock of Tetracycline was exhausted. Also rumors spread that the drinking water supply of Surat city was poisoned. This led to unprecedented panic in Surat city and people started fleeing. Indian and international news media also created panic by giving misinformation and exaggerated figures of deaths. The Indian health minister remained silent and the Gujarat chief minister, Chhabildas MehtaChhabildas Mehta
Chhabildas Mehta was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 17 February 1994 to 14 March 1995He entered in the politics by joining the Praja Samajwadi party. Later he joined Congress. He was in the cabinet of Chimanbhai Patel and he has been made Chief Minister of [Gujarat] after the sudden death of...
, said that the plague was pneumonic and not bubonic without realising that pneumonic plague
Pneumonic plague
Pneumonic plague, a severe type of lung infection, is one of three main forms of plague, all of which are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is more virulent and rare than bubonic plague...
is more deadly than bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
.
Due to the migration of infected people from Surat city, suspected plague spread to five states. A total of around 52 deaths were reported from India due to this suspected plague outbreak.
Mystery
A committee under chairmanship of Professor Vulimiri RamalingaswamiVulimiri Ramalingaswami
Vulimiri Ramalingaswami was an Indian medical scientist.He was born to an orthodox Brahmin family of Southern India. His father was a lowly paid government servant. He received his medical education from Andhra Medical College and then went on a scholarship to Oxford...
was formed by the Government of India to investigate the plague episode. In 1995 the committee submitted the report 'The Plague Epidemic of 1994' to the Government of India. The report concluded that the disease was plague.
Some other professionals like Satnam Singh(former programme director in the WHO office at New Delhi) disagree with that conclusion. Also the origin of disease could not be traced. Within a few weeks the spread of disease and panic ended. Nevertheless, this 1994 plague episode in India is remembered for the unprecedented panic it caused, both in India and in the International community.
External links
- Christopher Wills. Plagues, their Origin, History, and Future. London: Flamingo, 1997, ch. 5 (the 1994 plague).
- Garrett, Laurie. # Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health (Hyperion; 2001) ISBN 0-7868-8440-1