Leprosy is on the rise in Florida with 36 cases reported so far this year compared to 20 in 2024, according to data from the Florida Department of Health.
The most recent case was someone between 80 and 84 years old in Leon County, the FDOH said.
Hansen’s disease, the official name for the biblical ailment, is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae and primarily infects the skin, nerves in the skin and the lining in the airway passages of the nose. The disease is not easily spread, easy to treat, and nearly everyone has natural protective immunity, according to the FDOH. But going without treatment can result in permanent nerve damage.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, up to 225 people in the U.S. and 250,000 around the world are diagnosed with it every year.
In Florida, out of the 36 people who were diagnosed with leprosy this year, 27 of them acquired the disease within the state. In the other nine, one was acquired in the United States outside of Florida, three were acquired outside of the U.S. and five cases are unknown.
It can take up to 20 years to develop symptoms, the CDC says, and 95% of people won’t get infected because their immune systems are able to fight off the bacteria.
Here’s what to know.
What is leprosy?
Leprosy or Hansen’s disease has been around for thousands of years, with the earliest known records appearing in China and India around 600 B.C. The most obvious signs, according to the CDC, are changes in the skin such as discoloration or lighter patches, nodules, painless ulcers on the soles of the feet, painless swelling or lumps on the face or earlobes, loss of eyebrows or eyelashes or areas of thick, stiff or dry skin.
If left untreated, leprosy can lead to nerve damage, paralysis of the hands and feet, shortening of toes and fingers, chronic non-healing ulcers on the feet, blindness, nose disfigurement and more.
Is there a cure for leprosy?
Yes. Leprosy is easily curable. Treatment involves a combination of antibiotics for one to two years.
“People being treated for Hansen’s disease can live a normal life among their family and friends and can continue to attend work or school,” the CDC said.
Does leprosy make your fingers and toes fall off?
No, but it’s easy to see where the myth came from.
Leprosy can cause nerve damage in the fingers and toes, causing them to become numb, the CDC said. Injuries can go unnoticed and permanent damage or infection can lead to loss of the digit. In extreme cases, muscles in fingers and toes can become so weak that the digits can begin to disintegrate and be reabsorbed by the body.
Is leprosy endemic in Florida?
According to a 2022 report from dermatologists Aashni Bhukhan, DO, Charles Dunn, MD, and Rajiv Nathoo, MD, the number of reported leprosy cases across the country has doubled over the past decade with 159 new cases reported in the U.S. in 2020.
Nearly 70% of these new cases were reported in Florida, California, Louisiana, Hawaii, New York and Texas, and Central Florida alone accounted for nearly 20% of the total new cases in the U.S., according to data from the National Hansen’s Disease Program.
How many cases of leprosy have there been in Florida?
According to FDOH data:
In the ten years before that, Florida averaged 8.9 cases per year.
Do armadillos spread leprosy?
In 2023, USA TODAY reported that some experts believed the nine-banded armadillo was behind the rise in domestically transmitted cases. The mild-mannered creature is the only mammal besides humans that have been known to carry the bacteria that causes leprosy.
A 2015 study from researchers at the National Hansen’s Disease Program found more than 16% of nearly 650 armadillos tested in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida harbored the bacteria. Climate change is encouraging armadillos to expand their territory, which could potentially lead to increases in cases.
However, scientists have not pinpointed how the disease is transmitted and no direct armadillo-human transference has been proven.
“When people hear about armadillos expanding, they think it’s going to increase the risk of leprosy to the human population and at this point, there isn’t much evidence of that,” Jim Loughry, a retired biology professor from Valdosta State University said in 2023.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Dozens of leprosy cases reported in Florida. What we know
Reporting by C. A. Bridges and Arianna Otero, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
