Leprosy Cases in Florida on the Rise; State New Hotspot for Disease [Report]

Leprosy cases in Florida have been increasing. According to a new report, the state has been the disease's latest hotspot.

Leprosy in Florida

A 54-year-old man from Florida had been diagnosed with leprosy. The incident is an addition to the rising number of cases found in the southeast of the country. He claimed to have not been traveling, encountered any armadillos, or come into contact with anyone known to have leprosy. However, he spends a lot of time outdoors because he works as a gardener, ScienceAlert reported.

A severe rash and skin lesions that started on his feet and arms and spread to his trunk and face were present when the man visited a dermatologist clinic. Biopsies determined Leprosy, and national regulations informed public health authorities.

The man's condition seems to have been locally acquired, like about one-third of the new leprosy cases reported in the US between 2015 and 2020.

Dermatologists Aashni Bhukhan, Charles Dunn, and Rajiv Nathoo write in their case report that the case was an addition to the growing body of literature suggesting that central Florida represents an endemic location for leprosy.

A coordinated effort can be made to locate the disease and stop its spread by strengthening local physicians' efforts to record the incidence and supporting additional research to determine its transmission paths.

In the US, there are about 150 leprosy cases recorded annually. Distinct varieties of M. leprae have been found in US patients who have traveled from nations where leprosy is present or endemic.

Since 2000, leprosy incidence, or rates of new cases, have risen throughout the southern US, with recorded cases more than doubling in the southeastern states over the previous ten years. Nearly a fifth of US infections are now concentrated in Central Florida.

While an increasing number of reported cases seem to be missing any of the normal risk indicators for the disease, a decreasing percentage of leprosy cases in the US are diagnosed in people born outside the country.

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What Is Leprosy?

Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, is an infection caused by slow-growing Mycobacterium leprae. It may impact the nerves, skin, eyes, and nasal mucosa, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The condition can be cured with prompt diagnosis and care. Hansen's disease patients can still work and maintain an active lifestyle during and after therapy.

According to CDC, the signs and symptoms of leprosy include discolored skin patches, growths on the skin, thick, stiff, or dry skin, painless ulcers on the soles of feet, painless swelling or lumps on the face or earlobes, and loss of eyebrows or eyelashes. One may also experience numbness in the affected area, weakness of muscle or paralysis, and eye problems that may lead to blindness. Symptoms caused by the disease in the mucous membranes include a stuffy nose and nosebleed.

Leprosy was long thought to be a dangerous and highly contagious illness, but today we know it is not communicable and that treatment is quite successful. However, if the condition is left untreated, it could lead to paralysis, blindness, nose disfigurement, shortening of toes and fingers, painful or tender nerves, and burning sensation in the skin.