A leprosy endemic? So far this year, eight people got leprosy in Florida

In 2020, the Sunshine State was among the states with the highest number of leprosy cases, contributing to evidence that the infection is becoming endemic in the southeastern region of the country, according to a journal published in an August edition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Leprosy, scientifically referred to as Hansen’s disease, damages the skin and peripheral nervous system.

Although leprosy has been historically uncommon in the U.S. since the early 1980s, the report states that cases have more than doubled in the region over the past decade.

Central Florida seems to be the focus of the rise in cases, with researchers pointing out that 81% of leprosy cases in Florida between 2002 and 2021 came from the area. Nationally, Central Florida accounted for almost one-fifth of cases.

Over the past 20 years, the Florida Department of Health has reported 263 cases, and 70 of them came from within the state.

So far this year, there have been 15 cases of leprosy, according to the FDH’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report. Eight people acquired the infection in the state. Those eight cases are coming from Bradford, Brevard, Flagler, Highlands, Pinellas and Volusia, with Brevard posting three cases.

Symptoms and treatment

Because of the increase in cases, health officials across the country should consider whether a person traveled to Florida when examining potential leprosy cases, according to the report.

The report looks into the case of a 54-year-old man in Florida who got a leprosy diagnosis. He claimed he had not traveled outside of the state, been exposed to armadillos, and or had prolonged contact with people from countries where leprosy is common. Since the man’s case avoided all of the common risk factors of the disease, the researchers linked the case to another study of Florida cases where there was no zoonotic contact.

Additionally, the report highlights that leprosy cases among people born outside of the U.S. are declining, which increases the evidence for leprosy becoming endemic to the southeastern U.S. Finding the cause of the infection is difficult because leprosy grows slowly and the symptoms take a long time to develop, according to the CDC. However, a person with the disease cannot spread it to others they have casual contact with, such as shaking hands or hugging.

Symptoms of leprosy that affect the skin include discolored patches of skin; growths; thick, stiff or dry skin; painless ulcers on the soles of feet; painless swelling or lumps on the face or earlobes; loss of eyebrows or eyelashes.

Nerve damage can take the following forms: numbness of affected areas of the skin, muscle weakness or paralysis, enlarged nerves, and eye problems that may lead to blindness.

Nowadays, the disease is treatable but requires a combination of two to three antibiotics taken over a period of one to two years, according to the CDC.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.