A Florida man, 54 years old, has been diagnosed with leprosy. The number of cases in the south-eastern United States is on the rise.
The following follows recent alertsThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed the first local cases. malariaIn the US over two decades, four of those were in Florida.
Since 2000, leprosy rates, or the number of new cases of the disease, have increased in the southern US. In the last decade, reported cases in the south-eastern US states more than doubled. Central Florida accounts for nearly one-fifth (50%) of all US cases.
A growing number of leprosy reports are from people who were not born in the US.
“Those trends,” WriterThree dermatologists alerted to the Florida patient’s diagnosis contributed to “increasing evidence” that leprosy was endemic to the South-Eastern United States.
Leprosy is also called Hansen’s Disease. It is caused by bacteria. Mycobacterium spp. Recently discovered species M. lepromatosis. It is a curable yet neglectedTropical disease is still prevalent in over 120 countries.
In the US, about 150 cases of leprosy occur each year. Unique strains of M. lepraeHave you been? Patients in the US are being detected with this diseaseMost cases of leprosy are caused by people who travel from countries with an endemic or present leprosy.
Another risk factor is exposure to animals like the nine-banded armadillos. Know to Harbor M. lepraeLeprosy is spread by nasal and mouth droplets.
A 54-year-old Florida resident who had lived there his whole life told contact tracers that he hadn’t been on a trip, and he didn’t come in contact with anyone known to have leprosy, or any armadillos. He is a landscaper and spends a lot of time outside.
A man went to a dermatology office with painful skin lesions and rashes that started on his arms and feet, then spread to his trunk.
Biopsies confirmed the diagnosis of leprosy. Public health officials, in accordance with national protocols, were notified.
The case of the man, roughly One-third of all new cases of leprosyIt appears that the disease, which was diagnosed in the US from 2015 to 2020, was locally acquired.
The dermatologists Aashni Bukhan, Charles Dunn and Rajiv Nthoo said, “Our case contributes to the growing literature that suggests central Florida is an endemic area for leprosy.” WriterThe case report is a summary of the findings.
“By supporting additional research to determine the routes of spread and increasing local physician efforts in reporting incidence, a consistent effort can be made by identifying and reducing spread of the illness.”
Researchers want to look into possible environmental reservoirs, particularly in the absence of known risks factors, as in the case of this leprosy and other recent cases in Florida in people who spend time outside.
“The transmission of the disease is likely to be much more complex than we thought,” Write the AuthorsA recent systematic review analyzed data on global leprosy spread published between 1945 and 2019
It suggests that anthroponotic and zoonotic leprosy transmission is increasing.
Second known cause of leprosy M. lepromatosisThe’was Only discovered in 2008150 years since the disease was first linked to M. leprae.
Researchers are trying. Understand the prevalenceThe following are some examples of how to use M. lepromatosisInfections and which animals they spread to humans.
“It’s perhaps amazing that a new [bacterial]The true prevalence of a species that causes an endemic public health disease has not been determined by larger-scale research.” Researchers Remark.
The Florida Case Report has been published. Emerging Infectious Diseases.
