FLORIDA, USA — The Centers for Disease Control said in a recent statement that cases of leprosy have been increasing in Central Florida with the region accounting for 81 percent of reported cases in the state and almost one-fifth of reported cases nationwide.
Leprosy is a bacterial infection characterized by discolored skin, lumps and nerve damage. If untreated, the disease can progress to paralysis, blindness and physical disfigurement.
Most people think of leprosy as a disease from biblical times when it was considered a curse. The Hebrew word for leprosy used in the Bible -- tsara'ath -- loosely translates to "unclean."
According to the CDC, several of the newly reported cases in Florida don't appear to have any connection to the "traditionally known" risk factors for catching the disease.
For instance, while leprosy was previously known to affect people who immigrated from areas where the disease was endemic, the CDC says roughly one-third of the cases in Florida were contracted locally, while the rate of new cases among people born outside the U.S. has actually been declining for the past 20 years.
In the past, new leprosy cases in Florida have been linked to contact with animals, including the nine-banded armadillo, a known carrier of the bacteria. But the CDC's letter cited cases where patients being treated for the disease did not report any contact with armadillos or immigrants from leprosy-endemic regions.
"The absence of traditional risk factors in many recent cases of leprosy in Florida, coupled with the high proportion of residents who spend a great deal of time outdoors, supports the investigation into environmental reservoirs as a potential source of transmission," the CDC said.