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But there is no need to panic
The much-feared disease of leprosy, now usually referred to as Hansen’s Disease, is in the news again because it has been diagnosed in Florida. 81% of the 159 cases identified in the United States in 2020, were in Florida.
Usually, a person contracts it either when traveling in a country where it is more common, such as India, or through exposure to an animal that carries the bacteria, however, that is not the situation in the Florida cases. So far no source of the Florida cases has been identified.
What is it?
Leprosy is one of the most dreaded human afflictions because of its devastating effects. It deadens patients’ nerves so they eventually lose feeling in their hands and feet sometimes causing toes and fingers to fall off. It may also cause blindness and disfiguring sores.
For much of human history, the scaly skin and deformities were seen as a curse and a sign of God’s anger. The victims were shunned, cut off from society, and treated as criminals.
Transmission is from person to person or sometimes from animals, such as the nine-banded armadillo which carries the bacteria, though contact with this type of armadillo is rare.
