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What is Leprosy?
Bacteria of Leprosy, Mychobacterium
• Chronic disease caused by a bacillus, (disease causing
bacterium) Mycobacterium leprae
• Progressive and causes damage to skin and nervous
system and incubation period is five years
• Also called Hansen's Disease after he figured out that the
disease was infectious, not hereditary or by god's will
Risk Factors?
• Areas where leprosy is endemic: China, India, Japan,
and southern parts of Africa
• Physical contact with infected people
• Sometimes genetic defects in immune system
Symptoms• Loss of temperature sensation
• Eye damage
• Numbness
• Skin lesions
• Large ulcerations
• Muscle Weakness
• Progressive Disfigurement
Transmission
• Person to person by nasal secretions where droplets
enter and do their work
• Other droplets enter through breaks in skin
• From animals and small insects
Treatments
• Antibiotics such as: dapsone, rifampicin and
clofazimine
• Antibiotics can wipe out the bacteria that
causes leprosy
• Even though the disease is gone,the damage
from the disease would still remain
• Damages from leprosy can be fixed through
surgery.
Outcomes of Leprosy
• A good outcome: treated at early stage and
avoids tissue and nerve damage
• A bad outcome: If not treated(or treated
too late) it can lead to: you lose feeling in
eyes, hands, feet and parts of the face
• Avoid contact with another person who has Leprosy
• You are 8 times more likely to get Leprosy when you are living
with someone who has the disease
• The disease is not highly contagious 95% of the time(but you
should still be aware)
• Sometimes animals carry this disease, so don't handle these
animals especially if there wild
• Washing hands and wearing glove while dealing with wild animals
Prevention
Help People in Need
Please donate as much money as possible for
countries like India so we can help along
with organizations such as the American Red
Cross. Even the smallest of donations are
very much appreciated.
To Donate click link:
http://www.redcross.org
