Health officials in Florida report that in the last five months, three people in Volusia County have been diagnosed with leprosy. Two of the cases are thought to be linked to recent contact with nine-banded armadillos. The leathery animal is suspected to be a carrier of the bacteria in ...
Why Are Leprosy Cases Increasing in FL?Elizabeth GoughGordon
After the Civil War, Madison County in Florida's Panhandle became a world leader in the cotton industry with the world's largest long-staple cotton gin. Unfortunately, this industry wasdecimated in 1916when boll weevils destroyed the cotton crops. Prewar homes in the county include music legendR...
The number of leprosy cases in the U.S. has more than doubled over the past decade, and Florida has become a hot spot for it. Armadillos represent the only known zoonotic reservoir of leprosy-causing bacteria that threaten humans. These small mammals are common in Central and South America...
In the United States,leprosyhas been entrenched for more than a century in parts of the South where people came into contact with armadillos, the principle proven linkage from animal to humans. However, the more recent outbreaks in the Southeast,especially Florida, have not been associated with...