In a report published this year, a 54-year-old Florida man was diagnosed with, believe it or not, leprosy. The report cites an increasing number of cases detected in the southeastern part of the United States (U.S.) recently, and it appears to be a new hotspot for the disease.
Leprosy incidence, or the rates of new leprosy cases, has been increasing in the southern parts of the U.S. since 2000, with reported cases more than doubling in the southeastern states over the past decade. Central Florida now accounts for nearly one-fifth of all U.S. cases.
How do people get infected?
About 150 cases of leprosy are reported in the U.S. each year. Unique species of M. leprae have been detected in U.S. patients, though most cases are people who have traveled from countries where leprosy is present or endemic. Other risk factors, according to the researchers, include exposure to animals such as nine-banded armadillos, which are known to harbor M. leprae, and prolonged, close contact over months with someone who has untreated leprosy, which is spread via droplets from the nose and mouth.
However, the 54-year-old man, a lifelong resident of Florida, told follow-up contacts that he had not been traveling, nor come into contact with someone known to have leprosy or any armadillos. He works as a landscaper though, spending much time outdoors.
Disease transmission is complex
The man’s case, like about a third of new leprosy cases diagnosed in the U.S. between 2015 and 2020, appears to have been locally acquired.
“Our case adds to the growing body of literature suggesting that central Florida represents an endemic location for leprosy,” dermatologists Aashni Bhukhan, Charles Dunn, and Rajiv Nathoo wrote in their case report published in August. “By increasing the efforts of local physicians to report incidences and supporting further research to assess modes of transmission, a congruent effort can be made to identify and reduce the spread of the disease.”, Radio Sarajevo writes.
E.Dz.
