In Central Florida, there has been an increase in the number of instances of leprosy, which is also known as Hansen’s disease. Such an occurrence was reported by health officials. This might soon evolve into the worst-case scenario. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Central Florida is responsible for 81 percent of all reported cases in the state of Florida and for approximately one-fifth of all reported cases across the country.
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Leprosy is an infectious condition that lasts for years and usually affects a patient’s skin as well as their peripheral nervous system. It is transmitted by prolonged, close contact with an untreated patient that has the disease.
According to the authorities, there is not enough proof of zoonotic contact or other conventionally known risk factors in several of the cases that have been investigated in Central Florida. They also mentioned that they had recorded an incident of lepromatous leprosy in the region in a male resident who did not have any risk factors for the established transmission pathways of the disease.
The CDC has issued the following statement:
Leprosy has been historically uncommon in the United States; incidence peaked around 1983, and a drastic reduction in the annual number of documented cases occurred from the 1980s through 2000; […] Since then, reports demonstrate a gradual increase in the incidence of leprosy in the United States. The number of reported cases has more than doubled in the southeastern states over the last decade.
Moreover, according to the World Health Organization, each year, medical professionals in more than 120 different nations record a total of more than 200,000 new cases of leprosy. According to the CDC, around 150 persons become infected with the illness every year in the United States.
Skin that is thick and dry, patches of skin that are discolored, loss of eyebrows and eyelashes, skin growths, muscular weakness or paralysis, and swollen nerves are some of the symptoms that are known to be associated with leprosy. Keep in mind that it is essential to get medical assistance if you have any worries about your health!
