Leprosy Explained Types, Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Options
What Is Leprosy?
Leprosy is an infectious disease that causes severe, deforming skin sores and nerve damage in the arms, legs, and other parts of the body. The disease has existed since ancient times.
Leprosy is not highly contagious. You can get it only through close and repeated contact with nose and mouth droplets from someone with untreated leprosy. Children are more likely to get leprosy than adults.
Is Leprosy Still Around?
Leprosy is rare, but people still get the disease. About 208,000 people worldwide are infected with leprosy, most of them in Africa and Asia, according to the World Health Organization.
Approximately 100 people are diagnosed in the United States each year, mainly in the South, California, Hawaii, and some U.S. territories.
Leprosy Symptoms
Leprosy mainly affects the skin and the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, known as peripheral nerves. It may also affect the eyes and the thin tissue lining the inside of the nose.
The main symptom is skin sores, lumps, or bumps that do not go away after several weeks or months. These sores are flat and lighter in color than the surrounding skin.
Other Symptoms
- Skin that is stiff, thick, or dry
- Growths on the skin
- Lumps or swelling on the face or ears
Nerve Damage Symptoms
- Loss of feeling in affected areas, increasing the risk of injury
- Muscle weakness
- Vision problems
If leprosy affects the lining of the nose, you may have a stuffy nose or nosebleeds.
Advanced Leprosy Symptoms
- Loss of eyebrows and/or eyelashes
- Sores on the soles of the feet that do not heal
- Pain, redness, and burning
- Deformities of the nose, hands, and feet
- Blindness
- Shortened toes and fingers
- Paralysis of the hands and feet
Symptoms usually appear 3 to 5 years after exposure to the bacteria. In some cases, symptoms may not develop until 20 years later. This period is called the incubation period.
What Causes Leprosy?
Leprosy is caused by a slow-growing bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae). Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s disease, named after the scientist who discovered the bacterium in 1873.
Is Leprosy Contagious?
It is not fully understood how leprosy spreads. When a person with leprosy coughs or sneezes, they may release droplets containing the bacteria, which another person may inhale.
Leprosy requires close and prolonged contact with an infected person. It is not spread through:
- Shaking hands
- Hugging
- Sitting next to someone
- Sharing meals
- Sexual contact
Pregnant women with leprosy cannot pass the disease to their unborn babies.
Forms of Leprosy
Tuberculoid Leprosy
A mild form of leprosy. People have one or a few flat, pale skin patches. The affected skin may feel numb due to nerve damage. This form is less contagious.
Lepromatous Leprosy
A more severe form with widespread skin bumps and rashes, numbness, and muscle weakness. It may also affect the nose, kidneys, and male reproductive organs. This form is more contagious.
Borderline Leprosy
This type includes symptoms of both tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy.
WHO Classification
- Single Lesion Paucibacillary (SLPB): One lesion
- Paucibacillary (PB): Two to five lesions
- Multibacillary (MB): Six or more lesions
Leprosy Diagnosis
If you have a suspicious skin lesion, your doctor may perform a skin biopsy. A small sample of skin is removed and examined in a laboratory.
Your doctor may also perform a skin smear test:
- Paucibacillary leprosy usually shows no bacteria in the sample.
- Multibacillary leprosy usually shows bacteria in the sample.
Lepromin Skin Test
This test helps determine the type of leprosy by injecting inactive leprosy bacteria under the skin and checking for a reaction.
Leprosy Treatment
Leprosy is treated with antibiotics. Treatment usually lasts from 6 months to 2 years, depending on the type and severity of the disease.
Multidrug Therapy (MDT)
MDT combines several antibiotics to effectively cure leprosy.
Paucibacillary Leprosy Treatment
- Dapsone daily
- Rifampicin once a month
Multibacillary Leprosy Treatment
- Clofazimine daily
- Dapsone daily
- Rifampicin once a month
Additional Medicines
- Prednisone to reduce inflammation and nerve damage
- Thalidomide to treat skin nodules (not safe during pregnancy)
Is Leprosy Curable?
Yes, leprosy is curable. Over the past two decades, more than 16 million people have been cured. The World Health Organization provides free treatment worldwide.
Leprosy Complications
Without treatment, leprosy can permanently damage the skin, nerves, eyes, hands, and feet.
Possible Complications
- Blindness or glaucoma
- Iritis
- Hair loss
- Infertility
- Facial disfigurement
- Erectile dysfunction and infertility in men
- Kidney failure
- Claw-like hands
- Foot deformities
- Permanent nasal damage
- Loss of sensation leading to unnoticed injuries
Leprosy Prevention
Early diagnosis and treatment are the best ways to prevent the spread of leprosy.
You can lower your risk by avoiding prolonged close contact with untreated individuals.
If a family member has been exposed to leprosy, they should see a doctor and may need regular check-ups for at least 5 years.
Do Armadillos Carry Leprosy?
Armadillos in the southern United States can carry the bacteria that cause leprosy. Transmission to humans is possible but very rare.
Because armadillos can carry other diseases, it is best to avoid touching them.
Takeaways
Leprosy is an ancient but rare disease that still exists today. It can be completely cured with antibiotics. If you think you may have been exposed, seek medical attention promptly.
FAQs
Is Leprosy Fatal?
Leprosy itself usually does not cause death. However, if left untreated, it can lead to severe complications and permanent disabilities.
How Contagious Is Leprosy?
About 95% of people naturally resist the infection. Leprosy is not easily spread and cannot be transmitted through casual contact.
Once treatment begins, a person is generally no longer contagious after one day.
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