Move over, COVID-19, and say hello to leprosy. Yes, that leprosy, the biblical plague from the Old and New Testaments.
That’s according to the CDC, which says that there is “rising evidence that leprosy has become endemic in the southeastern United States.”
Leprosy, also called Hanson’s Disease, is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae, according to the CDC. “It can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose (nasal mucosa).” Up to 2 million people worldwide are permanently disabled from the disease, which can be transmitted by “prolonged, close contact with someone with untreated leprosy over many months.” It is thought to be spread via respiratory droplets—or even contact with armadillos. The CDC, which now apparently believes in natural immunity again, says, “more than 95% of all people have natural immunity to the disease.”
But in a Research Letter published in the August 2023 edition of the Emerging Infections Diseases journal, researchers from the Kansas City University–Graduate Medical Education/Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery Consortium raised concerns about the rise in the number of cases in the U.S.:
Leprosy has been historically uncommon in the United States; incidence peaked around 1983, and a drastic reduction in the annual number of documented cases occurred from the 1980s through 2000. However, since then, reports demonstrate a gradual increase in the incidence of leprosy in the United States. The number of reported cases has more than doubled in the southeastern states over the last decade. According to the National Hansen’s Disease Program, 159 new cases were reported in the United States in 2020; Florida was among the top reporting states.
Central Florida accounted for 81% of cases in the Sunshine State—nearly 20% of cases reported nationally.
The letter in the journal described the case of a 54-year-old man who sought treatment in a Florida dermatology clinic. “He denied any domestic or foreign travel, exposure to armadillos, prolonged contact with immigrants from leprosy-endemic countries, or connections with someone known to have leprosy.” The man has been a central Florida resident for his entire life and “works in landscaping, and spends long periods of time outdoors” He was referred to an infectious disease program and was prescribed triple therapy with dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine. --->READ MORE HERE
Florida is seeing a rise in leprosy cases that could mean the disease has become endemic in the Sunshine State, according to a letter published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The letter, which was published in mid-July, said while leprosy is historically uncommon in the United States, cases more than doubled in the South over the last 10 years.
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease, is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae and is characterized by discolored patches of skin, ulcers, lumps and damage to the nerves.
The CDC said if untreated, the disease can progress to paralysis, blindness, the loss of one’s eyebrows, physical disfigurement, and even the “shortening of toes and fingers due to reabsorption.”
The Florida Department of Health said the disease first appeared in the state in 1921. The National Hansen’s Disease Program found that 159 cases of leprosy were reported in 2020. Florida was at the top of the list of states with the most new cases.
According to the Florida Health Charts, the state had 26 reported cases in 2019, 27 in 2020, and 14 in 2021.
“Central Florida, in particular, accounted for 81% of cases reported in Florida and almost one-fifth of nationally reported cases,” the letter said. “Whereas leprosy in the United States previously affected persons who had immigrated from leprosy-endemic areas, [about] 34% of new case-patients during 2015–2020 appeared to have locally acquired the disease.” --->READ MORE HERE
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