Nearly Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Leprosy
Leprosy is a chronic, progressive disease caused by the Mycobacterium Leprae bacteria. This bacterium affects the body’s nervous system, concentrating on the cooler parts of the body. Affected areas are skin, eyes, and muscles in the hands and feet. Initial reactions to the disease vary. Some people develop clearly defined pale skin patches, in others there is very little definition between the patches and the healthy skin making it much more difficult to detect the disease in its early stages.
As the disease progresses, the symptoms only get worse; numbness in hands and feet make the patient vulnerable to cuts and infections that can’t be felt, and therfore often go intreated; stiffened muscles cause clawed hands, loss of the blinking reflex leads to total blindness, and in some cases amputation of fingers, an arm or leg is necessary.
But leprosy doesn't just have physical consequences, it affects people socially as well. Fear and prejudice within the community can lead to affected people being ostracised, shamed or even forced out of their community and home. This can often lead to people not receiving the treatment they require. Unable to work or interact with society can also lead to psychological issues for those affected.
Despite not being fully understood, leprosy is easily cured. Multi-drug Therapy (MDT), a combination of 3 antibiotics, will cure leprosy in 6 or perhaps 12 months. But while it destroys the bacteria, halts the progression of the disease and makes the person non-infectious (within 48 hours), it doesn't undo existing nerve damage or repair existing deformities or disabilities.
Around the world there are 1100 new cases of leprosy diagnosed every day, many of whom will already have serious injuries or disabilities as a result. It is estimated that there could be up to 3 million people living with disabilities resulting from leprosy.
There are several theories about how leprosy spreads from one person to another. It is likely that most cases are the result of coughs and sneeezes, although research is continuing that will allow us to better understand more about all aspects of the disease.
If you still want to know more, there is information available from a number of websites:
The Leprosy Mission International
The Leprosy Mission Canada has a series of articles written by an Indian doctor.
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