Leprosy is a disease that has been in
existence even from the biblical times. It is also known as Hansen’s disease (derived
from Gerhard A. Hansen, the name of the man who discovered one of the microorganisms
responsible for the disease).
Leprosy is an infectious disease
caused by the bacteria: Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis
This disease is not that contagious
and has a long incubation period (i.e. it takes a long time before the symptoms
of the disease starts to manifest) making it hard to know where or when someone
caught the disease.
Leprosy occurs worldwide and can be
contracted by close, repeated contact with droplets from the nose and mouth of
someone with the disease. Children are more vulnerable to the disease than
adults. Also, there is evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans
by some animals such as armadillos and even cockroaches.
Leprosy primarily affects the skin,
the peripheral nerves (i.e. nerves outside the brain and spinal cord ), mucosa
of the upper respiratory tract and even the eyes (excess eye fluid is actually
the first most obvious symptom of the disease)
Symptoms of the disease include: runny
nose, dry scalp, eye problems, skin lesions, muscle weakness, numbness of
fingers and toes, reddish skin, flat nose due to destruction of nasal cartilage
etc
There are 3 major types of Leprosy:
1. Tuberculoid:
This type is called Paucibacillary leprosy (PL) and is a less severe form of
the disease. People with this type of leprosy usually have a few patches of
flat, pale-coloured skin. These patches may feel numb because of nerve damage
underneath. Tuberculoid leprosy is less contagious than other forms
2. Lepromatous:
This type is called Multibacillary leprosy (ML) and is a more severe form of
the disease. It is also more contagious than tuberculod leprosy. It is
characterized by wide-spread skin bumps, rashes, lesions, thickened dermis,
numbness, muscle weakness. The nose, kidneys, and male reproductive organs may
also be affected.
3. Borderline:
This type of leprosy is of intermediate severity, is the most common form, and
is a combination of symptoms from the tuberculoid and lepromatous forms
Leprosy can be diagnosed by Skin
biopsy. This involves taking a small sample of the skin from a suspicious skin
sore and examining it for the presence of Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis
Segregation and quarantining of leper
patients (into leper colonies) was, and is still used today in some countries
as a means of preventing the spread of the disease. But this method is no
longer needed since adequate treatment procedures are now available
This disease can be cured. Examples of
drugs used in the treatment of leprosy are dapsone, rifampicin, clofazimine,
prednisolone and thalidomide. The BCG vaccine (Bacille Calmette Guerin) can
also offer a degree of protection against leprosy.
If untreated, Leprosy can lead to
·
Blindness
·
Disfiguration of
the face
·
Shortening of
toes and fingers
·
Kidney failure
·
Erectile
dysfunction and infertility in men
·
Permanent muscle
weakness
·
Permanent damage
to the inside of the nose
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