LEPROSY (HANSEN’S DISEASE)
Leprosy is a long-term bacterial infection that affects the skin, resulting in severe health consequences.
- Leprosy affects not just the skin, but also peripheral nerves, the eyes and the mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract
- If left untreated, the disease can be debilitating, resulting in muscle weakness, permanent nerve damage in the arms and legs and loss of sensation in the body
- It is known to occur at all ages ranging from early infancy to very old age
- It is common in parts of tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, Central and South America, some Pacific countries, and in parts of the USA
- There are two common forms of leprosy, tuberculoid and lepromatous
- Both forms produce lesions on the skin, but the lepromatous form is more severe and highly contagious and causes the additional formation of large lumps and bumps on the body
CAUSES
Leprosy is caused by a rod-shaped slow-growing bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae (M.leprae)
Transmission
The exact mode of transmission is not clear. Scientists currently think that the disease is transmitted through droplets expelled in the air when an infected person sneezes and coughs. Prolonged, close contact with an individual suffering from untreated leprosy over many months is needed to catch the disease.
Leprosy cannot be transmitted by casual contact such as shaking hands, hugging, or sitting next to an infected person.
It is also not spread through sexual contact or passed on from a mother to her unborn child
Individuals who are immunosuppressed are at a higher risk of developing leprosy.
Some families seem to be prone to leprosy than others, suggesting that some individual may have a genetic susceptibility to the condition.
SYMPTOMS
The incubation period of leprosy varies from about six months to 20 years
- Development of pale or pinkish patches of skin
- Ulcers on the sole of the feet
- Stuffy nose and nosebleeds
- Swelling or lumps on the face or earlobes
- Dry skin
Symptoms caused by nerve damages are
- Numbness of the affected areas of the skin
- Enlarged nerves especially those around the elbow and knee
- Muscle weakness or paralysis
- Eye problems
When the nerve damages occur, they cannot register pain, leaving the extremities of hands and feet vulnerable to burns and injuries that can result in loss of fingers, toes, hands, and feet.
Untreated leprosy can result in symptoms including
- Crippling of the hands and feet
- Blindness
- Nose disfigurement
- Shortening of toes and fingers due to reabsorption of cartilage by the body
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Diagnosis is made based on the visual recognition of symptoms.
Laboratory tests are only needed in rare cases
TREATMENT
Early detection and treatment are key. If the disease is caught and treated early, the disease is usually not debilitating.
Treatment for leprosy consists of a multi-therapy drug approach that usually lasts between 6 and 12 months.
Antibiotics treat the majority of cases. Antibiotics drug such as dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine. All three drugs can be given in combination depending on the severity of the disease. These drugs kill the bacterium.