According to a study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, Central Florida has reported one of the highest rates of leprosy in the United States.
In 2020, 159 cases were reported nationwide, compared to 200,000 new cases each year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The study indicates that Central Florida accounted for 81% of the cases in Florida and nearly 1 in every 5 cases of leprosy in the country.
Also known as Hansen’s disease, leprosy is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, which attacks the nerves beneath the skin. Scientists are unsure how it spreads, but believe it is through droplets expelled when an infected person coughs and sneezes. Its telling symptoms include numb or insensitive lesions and rashes due to nerve involvement.
The disease is not transmitted through casual contact, such as shaking hands or sitting next to an infected person. Instead, transmission requires close and prolonged contact with someone who has untreated leprosy for many months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 95% of people are not susceptible to the infection because their immune systems are genetically programmed to resist it.
As a result, leprosy is a rare disease in the United States. Historically, most cases of leprosy in the country affect people who travel to countries with high rates of the disease. But there are cases where doctors never know how a person was exposed. In certain states, there are more cases than in others. Florida is one of them.
Experts agree that leprosy is becoming endemic in the region. The disease can paralyze hands and feet, cause blindness, and shorten fingers and toes. The infection is curable, but treatment involves a combination of antibiotics taken over several years.
One of the challenges of leprosy is the slow growth of the bacterium. Depending on the type of infection, according to the CDC, a person can take up to 20 years to develop symptoms such as pale and numb spots, rashes, ulcers, and lesions.
Given this delay, it can be a challenge to trace the origin and spread of a leprosy infection. And since most doctors will never see a case of leprosy live, the disease is often misdiagnosed in the early stages.
Source: CNN