Daily Times

According to a recent press release from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Central Florida is seeing an increase in leprosy cases, commonly known as Hansen’s disease.

The region has been responsible for an astounding 81 percent of recorded cases in Florida and nearly one-fifth of reported cases statewide.

Leprosy has historically been uncommon in the United States, with documented incidence declining from the 1980s through the 2000s. However, the rate of occurrence has significantly increased since then, with more than double the number of reported cases in the southeastern states over the last decade.

Health officials are perplexed because some cases in Central Florida lack clear evidence of established risk factors. They have even documented a case of leprosy in a male resident with no known routes of transmission.

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerve system, and it is spread by prolonged intimate contact with untreated patients.

Discolored skin patches, thick and dry skin, skin growths, loss of brows and eyelashes, muscle weakness or paralysis, and swollen nerves are all indications of leprosy. If left untreated, significant problems such as blindness, foot ulcers, and hand and foot paralysis can occur.

More than 200,000 leprosy cases are reported each year in over 120 countries, according to the World Health Organisation. According to the CDC, approximately 150 persons in the United States get infected with the disease each year.

According to the CDC’s research paper, Florida is one of the states with the highest number of new leprosy cases.

Dr Nicole Iovine, the University of Florida’s senior hospital epidemiologist and infectious disease physician, stressed that leprosy is not simply an ancient concern, but that it may currently be endemic in Central Florida, which means it is circulating and present at all times, albeit at a low level.

Florida, along with California, Louisiana, Hawaii, New York, and Texas, recorded the most new leprosy cases in 2020. Since 2011, Brevard County, Florida, has had the highest number of new cases, accounting for more than 12% of all new leprosy cases in the United States in 2020.

Dr. Iovine said that leprosy can manifest itself in two ways: pigmented skin lesions that can be scaly or nodular lesions that can cause disfigurement. Leprosy is distinguished by the lack of sensation in the affected area.

While armadillos are frequently blamed for leprosy transmission, human-to-human transmission is also feasible, but uncommon in the United States. Contact with infected armadillos or inhalation of aerosolised particles from them are also common modes of infection.

Antibiotics can effectively treat leprosy. Early detection and treatment are critical for preventing serious consequences and controlling disease spread.

Health officials in Central Florida are advising individuals to be aware of the signs and seek medical attention if they feel they have leprosy.