What is Leprosy?

Leprosy is a disease that is caused by a particular bacterial organism known as Mycobacterium Leprae. Even though this disease is not highly contagious (it is very difficult to transmit), the time it takes for the symptoms to become apparent makes it difficult to accurately determine when and where this particular disease was contracted. The time period that it can take for the disease to develop falls in a wide range, as it can take as short as 6 months or even as long as several decades. Children are more susceptible to contract leprosy than most adults. However, leprosy, in each of its forms, can affect people of all ages, and is most common in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. There are several subdivisions and common forms of this disease, including tuberculoid and lepromatous, the most severe form of Hansen's Disease. Both tuberculoid and lepromatous produce sores on the skin, but lepromatous causes large, deformed lumps as well as disfigured deformities of the skin. The eventual effects of these diseases are nerve damage in the arms and legs, which can cause a number of disabilities (physical and neural). These disabilities include, but are not limited to, neural damage (sensory loss), muscle weakness, etc. They can also affect the eyes, nose, testicles, etc. A much more severe case of leprosy is when a person has it for a prolonged period of time, as this may cause several more dangerous symptoms, and may even involve the need for surgery, which is a nice way of putting amputation at such a late stage. The need for amputations arises when a person with long term leprosy suffers from nerve damage or sensory loss, and this may unfortunately lead to someone having their hand(s) and/or feet amputated. Other ways of contracting leprosy (although they are extremely rare) include: chimpanzees, mangabey monkeys, and nine banded armadillos.

Below is a brief yet powerful video of how leprosy affects the world. Please feel free to check it out.

WARNING! The content in this video is extremely graphic and may be disturbing to certain viewers. Viewer discretion is advised. Thank You.