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I see no resemblance to the "Spanish Flu" of 1918- this sounds like a fairly normal death rate for an Influenza "A" outbreak, especially in an impoverished country with little access to supportive care.

Read "FLU" by Gina Kolata for the "real thing".

this sounds like a fairly normal death rate for an Influenza "A" outbreak

The death rate now seems far, far lower than in the first weeks. This was on August 7th:


Influenza in Madagascar - WHO Update
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The Ministry of Health has announced that the Institut Pasteur, Madagascar, 
has isolated influenza A (H3N2) viruses from 2 out of 39 samples taken from 
cases in Fianarantsoa province, an area where outbreaks of an 
influenza-like illness have been reported.

The Ministry of Health has updated the epidemiological data: Since Sun 4 
Jul 2002, a total of 1 291 cases and 156 deaths have been reported.

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