Leprosy
Hansen’s Disease
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What is leprosy? It is an infectious disease that develops very slowly. It is caused
by germs (bacilli) that affect mostly the skin and nerves. It can cause a variety of skin
problems, loss of feeling, and paralysis of the hands and feet:
loss of feeling
(burns and scars)
loss of eyebrows
thick or lumpy
ear lobes
thick nerves
deformities of
hands and feet
painless ulcers
of the feet
marks or rings
without feeling
inside
How do people get leprosy? It can spread only from some persons who have untreated
leprosy, and only to other persons who have ‘low resistance’ to the disease. It is
probably spread either through sneezing or coughing, or through skin contact. Most
persons who come into contact with leprosy have a natural ability to resist it. Either
they do not get it at all, or they get a small unnoticeable infection that soon goes away
completely.
From the time a person is first infected with leprosy germs, it often takes 3 or 4
years for the first signs of the disease to appear.
Leprosy is not caused by evil spirits, by doing something bad, by eating certain
foods, or by bathing in river water, as some people believe. It is not hereditary and
children of mothers with leprosy are not born with it. However, children who live in
close contact with someone who has untreated leprosy are more likely to get it.
How common is leprosy? Leprosy is much more common in some parts of the world
than others. It is more common where there are crowded living conditions and poor
hygiene. But rich people can also get it.
More than 1 million people have leprosy. In some villages in Asia, Africa, and Central
America, 1 person in 20 has leprosy.
Can leprosy be cured? Yes. There are medicines that kill leprosy germs. Usually within
a few days of beginning treatment, a person can no longer spread the disease to others.
(In fact, most persons, when their leprosy is first diagnosed, can no longer spread it.)
However, treatment in some persons must be continued for years to prevent the
disease from coming back.
Is early treatment important? Yes. Early treatment stops the spread of leprosy to
others. Also, if treatment starts before loss of feeling, paralysis, and deformities have
appeared, recovery is usually complete and the person is not physically or socially
disabled.
Persons receiving regular, effective treatment do not spread leprosy.