FOR most, leprosy probably conjures scenes of barbaric biblical plagues.
But the disease, which can leave sufferers blind and paralysed, is still very much still lurking today.
National Library of MedicineA 54-year-old man in central Florida was diagnosed with leprosy in 2022[/caption]
In fact, cases of leprosy are rising in parts of the US, particularly in Florida.
A report published by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) found that 2020 saw 159 new cases of the medieval disease in the US.
Almost a fifth of those cases came from central Florida, suggesting the bug is becoming endemic in the southeastern states.
“This surge highlights the urgent need for healthcare providers to report them immediately, Professor Robert Schwartz, head of dermatology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said.
“Contact tracing is critical to identifying sources and reducing transmission.”
Leprosy, or Hansen disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by bacteria.
It gnaws away at the skin and nerves and, if left untreated, can result in blindness, paralysis, nose disfigurement, and shortening of toes and fingers.
Before treatments were discovered, infected people were quarantined in “leper colonies” in many countries around the world and ostracised.
Nowadays, thanks to modern medicine, it’s fairly straightforward to cure.
Why is it spreading?
Scientists are not completely sure why the disease is spreading in parts of the US.
Leprosy is not transmitted through casual contact like shaking hands or sitting beside an infected person.
Instead, catching the bug requires prolonged close contact with someone who has had untreated leprosy over many months, according to the CDC.
Traditionally, people would initially catch the bug from animals, including armadillos, or when visiting countries where the disease is endemic, such as Brazil, India, and Indonesia.
A 2016 study found red squirrels across Britain and Ireland are riddled with strains of the disease.
However, studies suggest recent cases in Georgia and central Florida could not be linked to animals or international travel.
“In many [recent] cases, the source remains an enigma,” the professor wrote in the Conversation.
“Some people’s genetics might make them more susceptible to leprosy infections, or their immune systems are less capable of resisting the disease.”
Another challenge with leprosy is sufferers can take 20 years to develop symptoms like pale, numb blotches, rashes, ulcers and lesions.
Because of that delay, tracking the source and spread of a leprosy infection can be hard.
The CDC cited a recent case of leprosy in a 54-year-old man who sought treatment for painful lesions on his face and body.
The unnamed had not travelled overseas or had contact with people known to be living with the disease.
“He has resided in central Florida his entire life, works in landscaping, and spends long periods outdoors,” the CDC said in a report published in its Emerging Infectious Diseases journal in 2022.
About 34 per cent of new cases between 2015 and 2020 didn’t have those traditional risk factors, according to the research letter.
Instead, the people appear to have been infected locally, which suggests that leprosy has become endemic in Florida, the letter says.
Leprosy: everything you need to know
Leprosy is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae.
The illness is renowned for being extremely slow to develop.
The bacteria reproduce slowly, and people may not develop symptoms for decades after exposure.
The average time is around five years, but some people may not develop signs for more than 20 years after contracting the bacteria.
Symptoms of leprosy include patches of discoloured skin, numbness, muscle weakness, eye problems, a blocked nose and nosebleeds and ulcers on the soles of the feet.
More than 200,000 people are thought to be diagnosed with the disease worldwide, with 60 per cent of cases in India.
Brazil and Indonesia also have relatively large numbers of infections, while the rest are scattered worldwide.
Leprosy was historically thought to be a contagious skin disease that led to societies banishing victims to colonies, but scientists now believe the illness spreads slowly if people inhale bacteria.
The illness can cause progressive nerve damage, weakness and the breakdown of limbs, flesh and facial features if left untreated, but antibiotics can now clear it up.