 
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is an age-old affliction described in many ancient writings, including the Bible. In ancient times, people with leprosy were ostracized and forced to live outside the city walls. They were seen as unclean and contagious, and they were often isolated from their families and communities.Despite its sometimes horrific symptoms, we now know that it is a chronic infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy is rare, but people do still get the disease. It affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes. Leprosy is now curable, and treatment in the early stages can prevent disability, causing no long-term consequences. About 208,000 people worldwide are infected with leprosy, most of them in Africa and Asia, according to the World Health Organization, where, apart from the physical deformity, persons affected by leprosy also face stigmatization and discrimination. About 100 people are diagnosed with the disease in the U.S. every year, mostly in the south, California, Hawaii, and some U.S. territories.  The bacteria of Hansen's disease are transmitted via droplets from the nose and mouth during close, frequent, and lengthy (months-long) contact with untreated cases. The disease is not spread through casual contact with a person who has leprosy, like shaking hands or hugging, sharing meals or sitting next to each other. Left untreated, the disease may cause progressive and permanent disabilities. However, leprosy is curable with multidrug therapy. Patients stop transmitting the disease when they begin treatment. 
 Elimination of leprosy as a public health problem globally, defined as prevalence of less than  Unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning about a new strain of leprosy, and is pinning the blame on, of all creatures, armadillos.It’s long been known that armadillos harbor one particular strain of leprosy that has occasionally been transmitted to humans. But now researchers have discovered armadillos in the southeastern U.S. with a new type of leprosy bacteria that is also turning up in human patients, where it can cause skin and nerve damage. The CDC calls it an emerging infectious disease. Actual interspecies transfer between people and armadillos is rare. People who work for prolonged periods of time in places frequented by armadillos are the most at risk of picking up the infection. But even then, about 95 percent of people are immune to the bacteria. |