How does leprosy spread

Overview What is leprosy? Leprosy (also called Hansen’s disease) is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae (my-co-bak-TEER-ee-um LEP-pray). It can affect your Does leprosy still exist? Yes. Although it’s rare, leprosy still exists today. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 208,000 people have leprosy (Hansen's disease) around the globe, with most cases found in Asia and Africa. In the United States, about 100 people receive a leprosy (Hansen's disease) diagnosis every year. Who does leprosy affect? While leprosy can affect people of all ages, it’s most common in people aged five to 15 or those over 30. Research suggests that over 95% of people infected with Mycobacterium leprae don’t actually develop leprosy because their bodies fight off the infection. What are the three types of leprosy? There are three main types of leprosy, including: • Tuberculoid leprosy. Someone with this type of leprosy usually has mild symptoms, developing only a few sores. This is because of a good immune response. Tuberculoid leprosy is also called paucibacillary leprosy. • Lepromatous leprosy. People with this type of leprosy have widespread sores and lesions affecting nerves, skin and organs. With lepromatous leprosy, the immune response is poor and the disease is more contagious. Lepromatous leprosy is also called multibacillary leprosy. • Borderline leprosy. This type of leprosy involves symptoms of both tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy. Bo...

W e have learnt throughout 2020 how important it is to know how a disease is transmitted. Knowing to wash our hands, maintain social distancing and cover our mouths has helped communities across the world combat the spread of Covid-19. Understanding the transmission of leprosy will help us to combat transmission of the disease, as well as other problems associated with leprosy. Leprosy is caught through droplets of moisture in the air coming from a person who is infectious Scientists are still not 100 percent sure how leprosy is transmitted and there is a lot research being conducted to find out exactly how it happens. In The Leprosy Mission, our teams in Bangladesh, India and Nepal are all working on transmission studies. Most scientists believe that leprosy is caught through droplets of moisture passing through the air from an infectious person who has leprosy, but has not been treated with multi-drug therapy (MDT). Only 1 in 10 of people affected by leprosy are infectious. Leprosy is most often transmitted through prolonged contact with an infectious person Leprosy is a mildly infectious disease. This means that it is rare to catch the disease after a brief encounter with an infectious person. People are most at risk of catching leprosy if they spend prolonged periods of time with an infectious person within a confined space. For example, if they spend a long time in a small room with that person. However, even if you live with a person who is affected by leprosy and is...