Post by JoannaL on Aug 1, 2023 21:07:32 GMT -5
Several Cases of Leprosy in Central Florida
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is tracking several cases of leprosy in the Sunshine State, which has, according to a letter in Emerging Infectious Diseases, “witnessed an increased incidence of leprosy cases lacking traditional risk factors” with trends contributing to “rising evidence that leprosy has become endemic in the southeastern United States.” According to the letter, the number of reported cases of leprosy has more than doubled in the last decade. Citing the National Hansen’s Disease Program, it was noted 159 new cases of leprosy were reported in the U.S. in 2020. Florida, the letter continues, was one of the states with the highest number of reports and 81 percent of those cases were in the central part of the state.
“Whereas leprosy in the United States previously affected persons who had immigrated from leprosy-endemic areas, 34% of new case-patients during 2015-2020 appeared to have locally acquired the disease,” the letter reads. “Several cases in central Florida demonstrate no clear evidence of zoonotic exposure or traditionally known risk factors.” Zoonotic diseases are caused by germs or bacteria that spread between animals and humans.
One 54-year-old man who contracted the dread disease, had no risk factors for known transmission routes of the highly contagious Lepromatous leprosy, one of three primary types of the condition. Those who are infected have widespread sores and lesions. The victim, who has lived in the area throughout his life is a landscaper, who initially sought treatment at a dermatology clinic for a painful and progressive erythematous rash.
A high percentage of unrelated cases in the South were found to carry the unique strain of M. Leprae of nine-banded armadillos in the region, suggesting a likelihood of zoonotic transmission. However, many cases reported in the eastern states, including Florida and Georgia, lacked zoonotic exposure or recent travel outside the United States, and the letter suggested there is support for the theory that international migration of individuals suffering from leprosy is a potential source of transmission. Such migration could account for the increase in the incidence of leprosy in formerly nonendemic regions.
Hansen’s disease is treated with a combination of antibiotics for an extended period of time: often one to two years. Left untreated, nerves are damaged resulting in crippling of the hands and feet. In advanced cases, the victim may suffer multiple injuries due to lack of sensation, and eventually the body may reabsorb the affected digits of the hands and/or feet. If the leprosy affects facial nerves, the person may develop corneal ulcers or go blind. In advanced leprosy, an individual may suffer loss of his/her eyebrows and saddle-nose deformity.
Sources: Julia Musto, Fox News, August 1, 2023, and Aashni Bhukhan, M.D., "Case Report of Leprosy in Central Florida, USA, 2022," Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 29, No. 8, August 2023, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Photo: Hands of individual with advanced leprosy.