Does leprosy still exist?

Does leprosy still exist?

Leprosy is rare in Australia and other countries with developed water, sanitation, housing, health and livelihood systems but still exists in countries such as India, Nepal and Papua New Guinea.

There are records of leprosy in India and China dating back to 1400 BC and 400 BC respectively. It is probable that the Greeks brought leprosy back from India which then spread to the Mediterranean and north Africa. At the beginning of the 13^th century, leprosy was rampant in Europe, from Iceland to Italy with about 19,000 leprosaria. Leprosy was carried to the Americas by Europeans and took hold in Brazil particularly due to the slave trade. Leprosy was probably introduced to Korea, Japan and then Hawaii from China[1].

In 1873 Dr. Hansen discovered bacteria in leprosy foci, suggesting that leprosy was an infectious disease and not a hereditary disease or punishment from the gods. We now understand that leprosy spreads among people, although extensive contact is required. A surprising fact is that nine-banded armadillos show leprosy symptoms and are a carrier of the disease, showing the same skin and nerve damage as humans.

Once a person with leprosy is adequately treated, they quickly become non-infectious and the bacteria that cause leprosy can continue to multiply without treatment.

You can view projects that aim to increase access to quality leprosy, lymphatic filariasis (LF) and disability services within an integrated health system for communities below

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The projects also works with communities to become more inclusive by breaking the stigma of leprosy and disability. In addition, they help empower people with disabilities to develop good stable livelihoods and become active contributing members of their communities.

Reference

Cited Sources

[1] https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-wer9636-421-444 The likely reason for the significant drop is due to Covid 19 and the inability of health systems to record accurately.

[2] This information from Leprosy for medical practitioners and paramedical worker, SJ Yawalkar, Novartis, 2002 (7th edition), p.2