Leprosy

From ArticleWorld

Leprosy is caused by the Mycobaterium leprae, an aerobic, acid-fast mycobacterium. Because the initial name of the disease was often used with a pejorative meaning, modern terminology adopted the name of Hansen's disease. The modern name comes from the name of the researcher who discovered the bacterium, Gerhard Armauer Hansen.

In the past, leprosy was incurable and it was causing horrible disfiguring symptoms. People who suffered from it were sequestered in leper colonies, far away from any human settlement. Today, Hansen's disease is treatable by antibiotic therapy involving several drugs. The reason it hasn't been eradicated is the fact that a significant part of the world's population cannot afford or receive treatment. The number of cases worldwide is, however, decreasing.

Leprosy also appears in armadillo, mangabe monkeys, rabbits and some mice.

Cause

The disease is caused by a mycobacterium with a very slow multiplication rate which seems to be related to M. tuberculosis. It has never been grown in a cell culture, probably due to the fact that it is an intra-cellular parasite, too archaic to survive independently.

Researchers are not sure about how Hansen's disease is transmitted. However, the transmission rate is very low and most of the world population seems to be naturally immune to this disease. The leading theory is that Hansen's disease is transmitted by respiratory droplets.

Symptoms

Leprosy can be either paucibacillary (tuberculoid) or multibacillary (lepromatous). The paucibacillary leprosy is not as severe as the latter, and symptoms involve only some hypopigmented skin macules.

The multibacillary leprosy is much more severe. Due to the lesions caused by the mycobacterium to the terminal nerves, sensations associated to burns or other physical injuries are not felt anymore. This leads to severe skin lesions, plaques, thickened dermis, nose bleeds and even bone lesions if not treated.

Colonies

Some leper colonies still exist worldwide, but they are no longer isolated, self-relying colonies. They receive financing and special assistance, allowing for better conditions.