ANTANANARIVO, Nov. 24 -- A World Health Organization official said on Monday that the plague that killed 40 people and infected 119 others in Madagascar is not really a new situation.

Rakotojanabelo Lamina Arthur, Program Officer of the prevention and fight against disease under the UN World Health Organization (WHO) office, made the remarks in the country's capital Antananarivo.

The WHO published 119 cases and 40 deaths from the plague in Madagascar, but these figures come from Madagascar's Ministry of Health, Dr. Arthur told Xinhua by telephone.

"Every year, in September when hot season begin in Madagascar, we must send a report to our headquarter the number of people affected and dead by plague," Dr. Arthur said.

For this year two cases were recorded in the capital. One of the cases was not confirmed while the other one died on Nov. 10. The other cases are from rural areas such as Ankazobe, Miarinarivo and Tsiroanomandidy.

Dr. Arthur said that every year around 100 people are affected by plague in Madagascar. Between 20 and 40 of them died.

"The situation in 2014 was almost the same to that of 2013, but the numbers of people affected by plague has increased for the two last years. We are still studying the real reason but in general the main reason is that people go to the hospital too late," Dr. Arthur added.

"Early warning and rapid riposte is the most trusted strategy we are doing currently. The riposte consists on taking care of the sick and others who interact with them. Also we spread pesticides to their areas," Arthur explained.

Arthur said that Madagascar has enough doctors to heal the plague, but sometimes medicines are not enough for the plague season, from November to April next year.

Madagascar's Ministry of Health will hold a press conference late this afternoon, according to the general secretary of the Ministry.