This age-old neglected tropical disease, which is still present in more than 120 countries, is now a growing challenge in parts of North America.
Leprosy is beginning to occur regularly within parts of the southeastern United States. Most recently, Florida has seen a heightened incidence of leprosy, accounting for many of the newly diagnosed cases in the US.
The surge in new cases in central Florida highlights the urgent need for health care providers to report them immediately. Contact tracing is critical to identifying sources and reducing transmission.
Traditional risk factors include zoonotic exposure and having recently lived in leprosy-endemic countries. Brazil, India and Indonesia have each noted more than 10,000 new cases since 2019, according to the World Health Organizationdata, and more than a dozen countries have reported between 1,000 to 10,000 new cases over the same time period.
1 comment:
My late father told me in 1969 ancient diseases like the plague, measles and leprosy will make a comeback in the last days. The old man just wasn't clicking his false teeth.
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