2023-08-05 09:40:34
It is known from horror stories from the deepest Middle Ages – but leprosy still exists. And not exactly rare.
More than 200,000 people are infected with the disease worldwide every year – most in India and Brazil. But the cases are also increasing in the USA, especially in the US state of Florida.
A 54-year-old is now suffering from leprosy there. The special thing: the man says he has never left the state. The Experts | are certain: He got infected in the USA!
The man initially developed a rash on his hands and feet, which then spread to his face. There he then developed into the so-called lion face typical of leprosy, like that medical journal reported.
Leprosy is curable
Leprosy is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Infection occurs through droplets. However: It takes long and intensive contact with sick people to become infected.
Infection can be recognized by non-itching, reddish patches of skin. In addition, there are nerve failures, which manifest themselves, for example, in numb areas of the skin.
Leprosy is treated with antibiotics and is curable. There is no vaccination once morest leprosy. However, a tuberculosis vaccination provides partial protection.
The sick man works in landscaping. According to his own statements, he had no contact with leprosy sufferers or people who come from leprosy regions. He also denied contact with armadillos, which are considered carriers of the leprosy bacteria.
Cases in the US have been increasing for years
In the USA, leprosy has been recurring for a long time; since the year 2000, the number of cases there has been increasing. According to the medical journal, a total of 159 new cases were registered in 2020 – 81 percent of them in central Florida.
This illustration of a leper is from the 1800s. In the Middle Ages, rattles were attached to lepers to warn others regarding them
Foto: Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Leprosy is very rare in Germany. The last case occurred in 2019. At that time, a 26-year-old was probably infected in India.
The 54-year-old from Florida was treated with medication that he has now had to take for a year. A cure is likely. But: The damage to his skin will probably not regress. He will have to live with the lion face forever.
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