Leprosy Is Making A Comeback And Doctors Are Saying To Avoid One Animal At All Costs

This year, Florida has seen a surge in cases of leprosy. In a typical year, leprosy, also known as Hanson’s disease, appears in about 10 cases. However, so far, there have already been nine cases this year. Perhaps the most surprising thing is the animal that carries it. The harmless-seeming armadillo is the cause, and residents have been warned to avoid them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that the odds of getting leprosy from an armadillo are not very high, but Brad Dalton, the deputy press secretary for the Department of Health says that spending an extended amount of time with an armadillo could spread it. However, he has also cautioned that spending a great deal of time with any wild animal can be dangerous. Cases in which armadillos have been spotted in suburban neighborhoods have also been on the rise in Florida. Pet owners have been reassured that cats and dogs cannot catch leprosy from armadillos and so are safe.

Dalton says it is unclear how leprosy spreads, but most researchers believe it is by respiratory droplets. The transmission is rarely due to casual contact but instead happens when people share a household or have other types of close contact.