Understanding Leprosy on World Leprosy Day

Leprosy is a chronic and progressive disease that primarily affects the skin and peripheral nervous system. Leprosy has been with us for thousands of years. There is evidence of the disease as far back as 4000 BC, in ancient Egypt.[1] In 1873, Norwegian physician Dr. Gerhard Armauer Hansen discovered that leprosy was caused by a bacterium. [2] Today, we call this bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, and we often refer to leprosy as Hansen’s Disease, in honor of Dr. Hansen. While leprosy caused significant morbidity and mortality in the past, cases today are rare and are curable with proper treatment. How Is Leprosy Transmitted? Leprosy does not spread very easily. Transmission is poorly understood, but it is thought to occur via respiratory droplets. Leprosy cannot be contracted from a single exposure to someone with the disease, but only from prolonged exposure over many months.[3] Leprosy cannot be transmitted sexually, and it cannot be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Once an individual has begun treatment for leprosy, they are no longer contagious. Not everyone who experiences prolonged exposure to leprosy will go on to develop the disease. There are both genetic and environmental factors that determine susceptibility. It is estimated that only 5-20% of people are susceptible to developing leprosy.[4] Surprisingly, individuals with HIV infection do not appear to be at an increased risk of contracting leprosy nor at an increased risk for severe outcomes.[5] The reas...
Source: GIDEON blog - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: News Leprosy Source Type: blogs