Back Melaatsheid Afrikaans Lepra AN कुष्ठ ANP جذام Arabic جذام ARZ কুষ্ঠ Assamese Llepra AST कुष्ठरोग AWA Cüzam Azerbaijani جوزام AZB

Leprosy

For other uses, see Leprosy (disambiguation).

Leprosy
Other namesHansen's disease (HD)[1]
Rash on the chest and abdomen caused by leprosy
Pronunciation
SpecialtyInfectious diseases
SymptomsDecreased ability to feel pain[3]
CausesMycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis[4][5]
Risk factorsClose contact with a case of leprosy, living in poverty[3][6]
TreatmentMultidrug therapy[4]
MedicationRifampicin, dapsone, clofazimine[3]
Frequency209,000 (2018)[4]
Named afterGerhard Armauer Hansen

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis.[4][7] Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes.[4] This nerve damage may result in a lack of ability to feel pain, which can lead to the loss of parts of a person's extremities from repeated injuries or infection through unnoticed wounds.[3] An infected person may also experience muscle weakness and poor eyesight.[3] Leprosy symptoms may begin within one year, but, for some people, symptoms may take 20 years or more to occur.[4]

Leprosy is spread between people, although extensive contact is necessary.[3][8] Leprosy has a low pathogenicity, and 95% of people who contract M. leprae do not develop the disease.[9] Spread is thought to occur through a cough or contact with fluid from the nose of a person infected by leprosy.[8][9] Genetic factors and immune function play a role in how easily a person catches the disease.[9][10] Leprosy does not spread during pregnancy to the unborn child or through sexual contact.[8] Leprosy occurs more commonly among people living in poverty.[3] There are two main types of the disease – paucibacillary and multibacillary, which differ in the number of bacteria present.[3] A person with paucibacillary disease has five or fewer poorly pigmented, numb skin patches, while a person with multibacillary disease has more than five skin patches.[3] The diagnosis is confirmed by finding acid-fast bacilli in a biopsy of the skin.[3]

Leprosy is curable with multidrug therapy.[4] Treatment of paucibacillary leprosy is with the medications dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine for six months.[9] Treatment for multibacillary leprosy uses the same medications for 12 months.[9] A number of other antibiotics may also be used.[3] These treatments are provided free of charge by the World Health Organization.[4]

Leprosy is not highly contagious.[11] People with leprosy can live with their families and go to school and work.[12] In the 1980s, there were 5.2 million cases globally, but by 2020 this decreased to fewer than 200,000.[4][13][14] Most new cases occur in 14 countries, with India accounting for more than half.[3][4] In the 20 years from 1994 to 2014, 16 million people worldwide were cured of leprosy.[4] About 200 cases per year are reported in the United States.[15] Central Florida accounted for 81% of cases in Florida and nearly 1 out of 5 leprosy cases nationwide.[16] Separating people affected by leprosy by placing them in leper colonies still occurs in some areas of India,[17] China,[18] Africa,[11] and Thailand.[19]

Leprosy has affected humanity for thousands of years.[3] The disease takes its name from the Greek word λέπρα (lépra), from λεπίς (lepís; 'scale'), while the term "Hansen's disease" is named after the Norwegian physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen.[3] Leprosy has historically been associated with social stigma, which continues to be a barrier to self-reporting and early treatment.[4] Some consider the word leper offensive, preferring the phrase "person affected with leprosy".[20] Leprosy is classified as a neglected tropical disease.[21] World Leprosy Day was started in 1954 to draw awareness to those affected by leprosy.[22][4]

  1. ^ Sophie M. Worobec (2008). "Treatment of leprosy/Hansen's disease in the early 21st century". Dermatologic Therapy. 22 (6): 518–537. doi:10.1111/j.1529-8019.2009.01274.x. PMID 19889136. S2CID 42203681.
  2. ^ "Definition of leprosy". The Free Dictionary. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Suzuki K, Akama T, Kawashima A, Yoshihara A, Yotsu RR, Ishii N (February 2012). "Current status of leprosy: epidemiology, basic science and clinical perspectives". The Journal of Dermatology. 39 (2): 121–129. doi:10.1111/j.1346-8138.2011.01370.x. PMID 21973237. S2CID 40027505.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Leprosy". World Health Organization (WHO). Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference New2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Schreuder2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Sotiriou MC, Stryjewska BM, Hill C (September 2016). "Two Cases of Leprosy in Siblings Caused by Mycobacterium lepromatosis and Review of the Literature". The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 95 (3): 522–527. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.16-0076. PMC 5014252. PMID 27402522.
  8. ^ a b c "Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) Transmission". cdc.gov. 29 April 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of leprosy. World Health Organization. Regional Office for South-East Asia. 2018. p. xiii. hdl:10665/274127. ISBN 978-92-9022-638-3.
  10. ^ Montoya D, Modlin RL (2010). Learning from leprosy: insight into the human innate immune response. Advances in Immunology. Vol. 105. pp. 1–24. doi:10.1016/S0065-2776(10)05001-7. ISBN 978-0-12-381302-2. PMID 20510728.
  11. ^ a b Byrne JP (2008). Encyclopedia of pestilence, pandemics, and plagues. Westport, Conn.[u.a.]: Greenwood Press. p. 351. ISBN 978-0-313-34102-1.
  12. ^ CDC (26 January 2018). "World Leprosy Day". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Archived from the original on 15 June 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Global leprosy situation, 2012". Weekly Epidemiological Record. 87 (34): 317–328. August 2012. PMID 22919737.
  14. ^ Rodrigues LC, Lockwood DN (June 2011). "Leprosy now: epidemiology, progress, challenges, and research gaps". The Lancet. Infectious Diseases. 11 (6): 464–470. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(11)70006-8. PMID 21616456.
  15. ^ "Hansen's Disease Data & Statistics". Health Resources and Services Administration. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  16. ^ "Central Florida is a hot spot for leprosy, report says". CNN. August 2023. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  17. ^ Walsh F (31 March 2007). "The hidden suffering of India's lepers". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 May 2007.
  18. ^ Lyn TE (13 September 2006). "Ignorance breeds leper colonies in China". Independat News & Media. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  19. ^ Pisuthipan A (6 July 2020). "Forgotten victims of the virus". Bangkok Post. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  20. ^ Nunzi E, Massone C, eds. (2012). Leprosy a practical guide. Milan: Springer. p. 326. ISBN 978-88-470-2376-5. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017.
  21. ^ "Neglected Tropical Diseases". cdc.gov. 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  22. ^ McMenamin D (2011). Leprosy and stigma in the South Pacific: a region-by-region history with first person accounts. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-7864-6323-7. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016.

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