NEWS UPDATE
Leprosy charity, SFLG, counters fears in the UK
as leprosy numbers increase in Florida
as leprosy numbers increase in Florida
3 August 2023, London, UK: St Francis Leprosy Guild assures the UK population that despite the rise in the number of people with leprosy in Florida, there is no need for alarm.
Yesterday, the UK Times reported that cases of leprosy have risen sharply in Florida and the disease may be endemic in the southeast of the United States. Florida may be one of the worst-affected states. Similar reports appeared in Sky News, Al Jazeera, Daily Mail and CNN.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 159 cases of leprosy in 2020. 81 per cent of cases were found in Florida or 20 per cent of the US total. In July, 2023 the Florida Department of Health reported 19 new cases in the last year.
There has been a growing number of people contracting leprosy within the United States rather than bringing it in from other countries. Whereas leprosy in the US previously affected people who had immigrated from leprosy endemic areas, about 34 per cent of people affected between 2015 and 2020 appear to have acquired the disease locally.
The increasing number of people with leprosy in Florida, as well as decreasing diagnoses in foreign-born people, contributes to the rising evidence that leprosy has become endemic in the southeast United States.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention cited the case of a 54-year old gardener who had lived in central Florida for his entire life and had not travelled before contracting the disease. The man denied prolonged contact with immigrants from leprosy endemic countries, or connections with someone known to have leprosy, or exposure to armadillos.
The absence of traditional risk factors in many recent cases of leprosy in the United States, coupled with the high proportion of residents who, like the 54 year old gardener, spend a great deal of time outdoors, supports the investigation into an environmental reservoir as a potential source of transmission.
Yesterday, the UK Times reported that cases of leprosy have risen sharply in Florida and the disease may be endemic in the southeast of the United States. Florida may be one of the worst-affected states. Similar reports appeared in Sky News, Al Jazeera, Daily Mail and CNN.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 159 cases of leprosy in 2020. 81 per cent of cases were found in Florida or 20 per cent of the US total. In July, 2023 the Florida Department of Health reported 19 new cases in the last year.
There has been a growing number of people contracting leprosy within the United States rather than bringing it in from other countries. Whereas leprosy in the US previously affected people who had immigrated from leprosy endemic areas, about 34 per cent of people affected between 2015 and 2020 appear to have acquired the disease locally.
The increasing number of people with leprosy in Florida, as well as decreasing diagnoses in foreign-born people, contributes to the rising evidence that leprosy has become endemic in the southeast United States.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention cited the case of a 54-year old gardener who had lived in central Florida for his entire life and had not travelled before contracting the disease. The man denied prolonged contact with immigrants from leprosy endemic countries, or connections with someone known to have leprosy, or exposure to armadillos.
The absence of traditional risk factors in many recent cases of leprosy in the United States, coupled with the high proportion of residents who, like the 54 year old gardener, spend a great deal of time outdoors, supports the investigation into an environmental reservoir as a potential source of transmission.
SFLG's Programme Manager, Charlotte John
|
There is no need for anyone to be alarmed" said SFLG's Programme Manager, Charlotte John. |
Around 95 percent of the population has a strong immune system and is not at risk of developing leprosy, even if they encounter the bacteria. But there may be some other ways that the disease can be transmitted.
The leprosy bacterium cannot survive on its own. It must live inside a host or, even in the best conditions, it will die within a few days. The smallest host that a leprosy bacteria could infect is an amoeba. US researchers have demonstrated that common soil amoeba, found worldwide, could host leprosy bacteria and keep it alive for months, in a laboratory setting.
This research indicates that it is possible to contract leprosy through exposure to dust and dirt in the air, or soil that is infected by leprosy. It is also possible to contract leprosy if an open wound comes in contact with that soil.
In southern United States, some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacterium that causes leprosy and it is possible that it can spread to humans. The risk is considered low.
The leprosy bacterium cannot survive on its own. It must live inside a host or, even in the best conditions, it will die within a few days. The smallest host that a leprosy bacteria could infect is an amoeba. US researchers have demonstrated that common soil amoeba, found worldwide, could host leprosy bacteria and keep it alive for months, in a laboratory setting.
This research indicates that it is possible to contract leprosy through exposure to dust and dirt in the air, or soil that is infected by leprosy. It is also possible to contract leprosy if an open wound comes in contact with that soil.
In southern United States, some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacterium that causes leprosy and it is possible that it can spread to humans. The risk is considered low.
The numbers reported in the US are really very low, continued Charlotte. In India, where there is in the highest incidence of leprosy in the world, over seventy five thousand people were diagnosed with leprosy last year. That is a number that causes me far greater concern. *
If left undiagnosed, leprosy attacks nerve endings, destroying the ability to feel pain and injury. This lack of sensation makes patients susceptible to developing ulcers and infections. Over time, if left untreated, these ulcers can lead to the loss of fingers, hands, toes, and feet. Even those treated for leprosy and who are no longer infectious, can still develop ulcers over their lifetime. Leprosy can also cause blindness, facial disfigurement and the clawing of hands and feet.
*WHO WER published 9 September 2022
http://www.who.int/wer
*WHO WER published 9 September 2022
http://www.who.int/wer
The story of Thangaraj, 55, Chettiapatti Village, Dindigul, India
Thangaraj works as a goat farmer. He thinks he caught leprosy at around the age of 30. Both of his hands have lost their sensation but his feet are unaffected. A former leprosy patient from St Joseph Hospital Dindigul urged him to go to a mobile clinic for a diagnosis and treatment. After treatment he resumed his normal life. Before catching leprosy he was a farmer working in paddy fields.
Thangaraj works as a goat farmer. He thinks he caught leprosy at around the age of 30. Both of his hands have lost their sensation but his feet are unaffected. A former leprosy patient from St Joseph Hospital Dindigul urged him to go to a mobile clinic for a diagnosis and treatment. After treatment he resumed his normal life. Before catching leprosy he was a farmer working in paddy fields.
SFLG’s TRACE operating strategy is putting an emphasis on Active Case-Finding and early detection followed by quick effective treatment, reflecting new global approaches in the ongoing fight against the disease. Read more about TRACE.
For other information or interviews please contact:
Katharine Jones
Acting Director
St Francis Leprosy Guild
London W10 6EJ
Tel: +44 (0)7785 510474
Email: katharine.jones@stfrancisleprosy.org
Katharine Jones
Acting Director
St Francis Leprosy Guild
London W10 6EJ
Tel: +44 (0)7785 510474
Email: katharine.jones@stfrancisleprosy.org
