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   Leprosy Cases On The Rise In Florida.   
      
   Amidst a concerning rise in leprosy cases across Florida, the U.S.   
   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning saying   
   the disease may be on the path to becoming endemic in the region.   
      
   Travellers heading to the southeastern region of the United States,   
   specifically central Florida, should be mindful of the potential risk of   
   transmission, the CDC stated.   
      
   “Florida, USA, has witnessed an increased incidence of leprosy cases   
   lacking traditional risk factors,” the CDC said in a report published on   
   Monday. “Those trends, in addition to decreasing diagnoses in foreign-   
   born persons, contribute to rising evidence that leprosy has become   
   endemic in the southeastern United States.   
      
   “Travel to Florida should be considered when conducting leprosy contact   
   tracing in any state.”   
      
   In 2020, 159 new cases of leprosy were reported in the U.S., according to   
   the country’s National Hansen’s Disease Program. Florida was among the   
   top reporting states. And Central Florida accounted for 81 per cent of   
   cases in the state. That makes up one-fifth of reported cases in the   
   entire country.   
      
   What is leprosy?   
      
   Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is an age-old infectious disease   
   caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae that affects the skin and   
   nerves.   
      
   These bacteria are very slow growing and often may take up to 20 years to   
   manifest after initial infection, according to the CDC. The bacteria   
   attack the nerves, which can become swollen under the skin and cause the   
   affected areas to lose the ability to sense touch and pain. If left   
   untreated, it can also result in paralysis of the hands and feet.   
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   Leprosy is not highly contagious and although it’s not exactly known how   
   it transmits between people, the CDC said it may happen when an infected   
   person coughs or sneezes, and a healthy person breathes in the droplets   
   containing the bacteria. However, prolonged, close contact with someone   
   with untreated leprosy over many months is needed to catch the disease,   
   the health department added.   
      
   If detected early, leprosy can be cured with antibiotics.   
      
   Although very rare, cases of the disease have been reported in Canada.   
      
   For example, in Ontario, a very small number of imported cases occur per   
   year, according to Public Health Ontario (PHO). The last data available   
   shows that in 2021, there was one reported case. In 2016, there were six   
   reported cases.   
      
   Global News reached out to Health Canada for comment about current   
   leprosy rates in the country but did not hear back at the time of   
   publication.   
   Why is leprosy on the rise in Florida?   
      
   Historically, leprosy has been rare in the U.S., with its peak occurrence   
   happening around 1983, as reported by the CDC. Following that, there was   
   a significant decline in the number of documented cases annually from the   
   1980s through 2000.   
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   But since then, the CDC said, reports show a “gradual increase” in cases,   
   with the number of reported cases more than doubling in the southeastern   
   states over the last decade.   
      
   The notable difference is that previous cases primarily involved   
   individuals who immigrated from leprosy-endemic regions around the world.   
   However, according to the CDC’s report, during the period from 2015 to   
   2020, approximately 34 per cent of new cases seemed to have contracted   
   the disease locally, raising concerns about potential transmission within   
   the U.S.   
      
   For example, the department said in 2022 a 54-year-old man living in   
   central Florida became sick with the disease without risk factors for   
   known transmission routes. He went to a dermatology clinic looking for   
   treatment for a painful and worsening red rash. The rash initially   
   appeared on his hands and feet and then spread to his face. Biopsies   
   taken from the affected area showed that he had leprosy.   
   epromatous leprosy in a 54-year-old man in central Florida, USA, 2022. A,   
   B) Leonine facies with waxy yellow papules. C) Violaceous nonblanching   
   macules coalescing into patches along dorsum of feet bilaterally. D, E)   
   Erythematous papules coalescing into plaques along extensor aspects of   
   upper and lower extremities bilaterally.   
   View image in full screen   
   Lepromatous leprosy in a 54-year-old man in central Florida, 2022. CDC   
      
   He said he had not recently travelled, had prolonged contact with   
   immigrants from leprosy-endemic regions, or associations with individuals   
   known to have leprosy, the CDC said. He lived in central Florida his   
   entire life, works in landscaping and spends extended periods outdoors,   
   the department flagged.   
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   The CDC then suggested “environmental reservoirs as a potential source of   
   transmission” for this patient.   
      
   “Although the incidence of leprosy has been increasing, the rates of new   
   diagnoses in persons born outside of the United States has been declining   
   since 2002,” the CDC stated. “This information suggests that leprosy has   
   become an endemic disease process in Florida.”   
      
   The CDC then warned that any travel to this area, “should prompt   
   consideration of leprosy in the appropriate clinical context.”   
      
      
      
   https://globalnews.ca/news/9869675/leprosy-cases-florida-endemic/   
      
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