Cases of leprosy have increased in Florida and the southeastern United States over the last decade, according to a new report. Leprosy, officially called Hansen’s disease, is a rare type of bacterial infection that attacks the nerves and can cause swel
Three people have been diagnosed with leprosy in Volusia County over the last five months, two of whom got the disease after coming into contact with armadillos, health officials said.
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 ...
Caused by infectious bacteria, some 200,000 new cases are reported each year, according to the World Health Organization. Mar 13, 2024 0 3 Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Leprosy on the rise in Florida: An expert answers your questions A wave of leprosy cases in Florida has led public ...
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 knownzoonotic reservoirof leprosy-causing bacteria that threaten humans. Thesesmall mammalsare common in Central and South America and ...
Why Are Leprosy Cases Increasing in FL?Elizabeth GoughGordon
After the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) for leprosy in 1981, there was an impressive reduction in the number of cases worldwide, from an
In 2015, another study from the same group found that a different strain type that existed only in central Florida was causing asecond clusterof cases in armadillos and humans. Both of these reports caused a huge amount of media coverage, with people being somewhat surprised and alarmed that ...