Leprosy Is on the Move in US

Leprosy, an infectious disease that was once so feared that patients were isolated in remote colonies, has emerged in the US Southeast

Writing in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) December 2015 Emerging Infectious Diseases, Rahul Sharma PhD r and colleagues report that Microbacterium leprae. The bacterium that causes leprosy has been detected at new levels in armadillos and humans in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

"Leprosy appears to be an emerging infection of armadillos throughout the southeastern United States,” Sharma and colleagues wrote. The slow-moving animals (seen in photo) are known to harbor the bacterium and believed to transmit it to people. ...

read more: http://www.hcplive.com/medical-news/leprosy-is--on-the-move-in-us-cdc-says

Very interesting:

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/leprosy-symptoms-treatments-history?page=1

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/leprosy-symptoms-treatments-history?page=2

How Is Leprosy Treated?
Leprosy can be cured. In the last two decades, 16 million people with leprosy have been cured. The World Health Organization provides free treatment for all people with leprosy.

Treatment depends on the type of leprosy that you have. Antibiotics are used to treat the infection. Long-term treatment with two or more antibiotics is recommended, usually from six months to a year. People with severe leprosy may need to take antibiotics longer. Antibiotics cannot treat the nerve damage.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are used to control nerve pain and damage related to leprosy. This may include steroids, such as prednisone.

Patients with leprosy may also be given thalidomide, a potent medication that suppresses the body's immune system. It helps treat leprosy skin nodules. Thalidomide is known to cause severe, life-threatening birth defects and should never be taken by women who are pregnant or women who may become pregnant.