Leprosy, Not Just a Biblical Problem

As World Leprosy Day approaches on Sunday, January 25, we thought it fitting to bring one of the world’s oldest known diseases to light.

World Leprosy Day helps to focus on the needs of some of the poorest and most marginalized people in the world – those affected by leprosy. It helps to tell the story to people who do not know that leprosy still exists and that it can now be cured. It also helps raise funds so that those with leprosy can be cured and cared for.

Spread the word that every two minutes someone is diagnosed with leprosy.

Even though it is curable, many people with Leprosy and Buruli ulcer are stigmatized and shunned from their communities – at times comparable to that of biblical times.

Prevalent in India and Brazil !!  There is a cure and in Brazil a simple blood test to detected it !!

“Every two minutes someone is diagnosed with leprosy,” says American Leprosy Missions President and CEO Bill Simmons. “For more than 100 years, American Leprosy Missions has been working to cure leprosy, care for those damaged by the disease and ultimately bring an end to leprosy. 

Each year, World Leprosy Day is a time to pause and be thankful for the many people who have been cured of leprosy. But it is also a time to remember the thousands of people who will contract leprosy this year and the millions who suffer from disabilities caused by this terrible disease. We must not forget, that in many parts of the world, leprosy is still a public health problem. So we encourage everyone to join us in observing World Leprosy Day.”

2014 FIFA WORLD CUP MASCOT

Armadillos aren’t what you’d call cute and cuddly: Their beady eyes, scaly skin, and bony shell give them the appearance of a rat masquerading as a lobster. 

But the mammals are pretty tough when they roll into a protective ball, which is why Brazil picked a Brazilian three-banded armadillo named Fuleco as the mascot for the 2014 World Cup.

A Legacy of Leprosy

Different though we may seem, humans and armadillos share an unfortunate similarity—we’re the only animals that can naturally contract Hansen’s disease, better known as leprosy.

Leprosy is caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacterium. This nasty bug prefers slightly cooler temperatures, which is why in humans it causes serious damage to the extremities. Unfortunately for our armored friends, armadillos tend to have a lower core body temperature than most mammals. This means the bacterium is free to go crazy throughout their body cavity, eventually causing organ failure and death.

“But in order to contract leprosy from an armadillo,” said Loughry, “I always tell people you really have to want to, because it’s not easy to get it.”

In other words, unless you butcher an armadillo while you have open wounds on your hands, you’re unlikely to catch leprosy from one of these animals.

If only the same were true for the armadillos. By sequencing the bacterium’s genome, scientists have determined that leprosy didn’t exist in the New World until Europeans arrived.

Surprisingly Brazil has a larger problem with Hansen's disease than India based on population - even with a early detection test and a cure.