A recent leprosy outbreak in Florida has people scratching their heads a bit. Most people hear about leprosy (also known as Hansen’s Disease) when they read the Bible. You don’t really think about it as a significant disease of today, but guess again.
In Florida, nine cases of leprosy have been reported so far this year. According to the Florida Department of Health, the culprit is actually the armadillo. Floridians view the armadillo much like Pennsylvanians view the possum: a nuisance rodent. Most Pennsylvanians wouldn’t consider approaching the possum for a quick “pat on the head” but some people in Florida do just that with their armadillo residents. They reach out, pet the animals, and go about their way.
Unfortunately, that touch could potentially transfer leprosy from the armadillo to the unsuspecting human. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, armadillos are natural carriers of leprosy (Who knew?). The good news is that the risk is low. Adolescents and those older than age 30 are at greatest risk, but only if they physically touch the armadillo.
Hansen’s disease is a bacterial infection that mainly affects the skin, nerves and mucous membranes. Some of the symptoms include skin lesions, thickening of the skin, numbness, pain, and potential blindness. Unlike in Biblical times, leprosy is now treatable. The treatment includes between 6 months to two years of antibiotics, so the disease is a tough one to kick.
Of interest, leprosy has affected close to two million people worldwide, especially in high infection countries such as Brazil, Angola, India, Nepal and Tanzania. The disease can spread from person to person if the infected individual is not being treated.
In Pennsylvania, the biggest risk of petting the ubiquitous possum is rabies. Like leprosy, rabies is not a walk in the park either. Early symptoms include weakness, fever or headache. Later symptoms include cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, and agitation. Progressive symptoms could also involve delirium, hallucinations and insomnia. Death is imminent once clinical signs are rabies appear. Early treatment includes a tetanus shot, if you have not had a rabies vaccine within the past ten years. For those who have never been vaccinated, vaccination is given. The best protection against rabies is getting vaccinated and keeping the vaccine current.
That’s the key difference between leprosy and rabies: rabies has a prevention vaccine while leprosy does not.
The point here: if you live in Pennsylvania, get a rabies vaccine. If you vacation in Florida, don’t pet the armadillos.
Works used for this article
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Leprosy. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/leprosy/exposure/armadillos.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Rabies. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/index.html
Miller, K. (2015). Florida is facing a leprosy outbreak. You’ll never guess what may be the cute culprit. Retrieved from https://www.yahoo.com/health/florida-is-facing-a-leprosy-outbreak-youll-never-124760030587.html
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