In 2000, 738,284 cases of leprosy were identified worldwide; 91 in the United States. Between 1 million and 2 million people are believed permanently disabled by the disease. Ten countries account for 90 percent of cases: Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo,Guinea, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal and Tanzania.

No, today, there is no medical or social justification for isolating people with leprosy. People can continue their normal way of life while receiving treatment. Any attempt to isolate people with leprosy stigmatizes them and reinforces age-old prejudices about the disease. top

For a start, never define them by their disease or use derogatory terms such as 'leper.' Offer them and their families your support, accept them as who they are and treat them with the same as anyone else. Remember,"Every person is born free and equal in dignity and human rights." (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) top

Leprosy is a chronic, infectious disease caused by a germ, Mycobacterium leprae. It usually involves the nerves, skin and eyes.

Yes, when untreated. However, even the most contagious patient becomes non-infectious within a few days or weeks of treatment. In addition, very few persons exposed to untreated patients contract the disease because only about five percent of the world's population is even susceptible to it.

Leprosy is transmitted by direct, person-to-person contact, usually repetitive, over a prolonged period of time.

Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by a bacillus, mycobacterium leprae. Mycobacterium leprae multiplies very slowly. The incubation period is about three to five years but signs and symptoms can take as long as 20 years to appear. Leprosy is not highly infectious. It is transmitted via droplets from the nose and mouth or via the skin during close and frequent contact with untreated, infected persons.

Leprosy is a curable disease and when treated in the early stages, disability can be avoided. With minimal training, leprosy can be easily diagnosed on clinical signs alone. A World Health Organization (WHO) Study Group recommended multidrug therapy (MDT) in 1981, in place of monotherapy with dapsone.

Currently less than 300,000 people develop leprosy each year. Since the introduction of MDT in the early 1980s, more than 15 million people around the world have been cured of the disease. Today, it remains a public health problem in only a handful of countries. top

The first sign of leprosy is usually the appearance of patches on the skin. These patches are accompanied by a loss of sensation in the areas affected. top

M. leprae is transmitted primarily through coughing and sneezing. Bacilli are discharged, perhaps on droplets or dust particles that others inhale.

Wild armadillos have been known to be infected with the bacterium that causes leprosy (Hansen's disease). The only cases of transmission from armadillos to humans have occurred in rare incidents in which people ate undercooked armadillo meat.

The ancient perception of Leprosy, found in almost every religion, saw the disease as a God-given curse. To this day, Leprosy in India carries with it a stigma that adds terrible emotional trauma and extreme social ostracism to physical effects of the disease.