When you mention the medical condition Leprosy your mind will naturally think back in time to a period in history when living conditions were poor and life expectancy was limited. Leprosy is a bacterial infection than damages nerves, lungs, skin and eyes, and is well known by the dramatic loss of fingers, arms or legs through uncontrolled infection and wounds. Leprosy still occurs globally, with India accounting for more than half of the diagnosed cases. In some areas of India, China, Thailand, and parts of Africa, Leper colonies are still used to restrict movement and contain Leprosy. Fortunately most people are cured of Leprosy today through drug therapy, and interestingly there are also groups of people who are genetically less likely to contract the infection even if exposed to it.
The social spread and mortality was greatest during the Middle Ages, resulting in segregation and leper asylums. Even as recent as 1983 the Indian government introduced the National Leprosy Elimination Programme to tackle the problem. Until 2019, an Indian could even petition for divorce based on a spouse's diagnosis.
The last place you might expect to hear of Leprosy cases surging is in Florida. Leprosy has now been classed as Endemic in the state, meaning it's consistently present but limited to that specific area, just like Malaria is. Florida now accounts for 81% of all Leprosy cases in the US.
"Several cases in central Florida demonstrate no clear evidence of zoonotic exposure or traditionally known risk factors," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote in their report, adding that data suggests that "leprosy has become an endemic disease process in Florida."
The south east region of America has seen the number of cases double over the last decade, and according to the CDC it appears that people are not catching the bacterial infection through the normal routes of exposure to disease carrying animals or travelers. Conclusions from the CDC seem to suggest that the cases they've looked into tend to be occurring in patients who are spending long periods of time outdoors and think there may be a link to "environmental reservoirs" as a potential source of the bacteria, which can be found in soil, water and vegetation.
But why now? Could the increasing global temperatures or the reintroduction of bacteria once frozen in the thawing Siberian permafrost, be contributing factors?
No comments:
Post a Comment