Leprosy: Symptoms, diagnosis and key facts

Hands deformed by Leprosy. (Image courtesy: Wikipedia)

New Delhi: Wikipedia defines Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), as, “a long-term infection by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis.”

It is a chronic infectious disease mainly affecting the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “Leprosy control has improved significantly due to national and sub-national campaigns in most endemic countries today. Integration of basic leprosy services into general health services has made diagnosis and treatment of the disease more accessible.”

WHO further states that according to official reports received from 138 countries from all WHO regions, the global registered prevalence of leprosy at the end of 2015 was 176 176 cases (0.2 cases per 10 000 people)1. The number of new cases reported globally in 2015 was 211 973 (2.9 new cases per 100 000 people). In 2014, 213 899 new cases were reported, and in 2013, 215 656 new cases.

To raise awareness about the disease, World Leprosy Day was established and is observed internationally on January 30 or its nearest Sunday. This year, it is being observed on January 29.

January 30 was chosen in commemoration of the death of Gandhi, the leader of India who understood the importance of leprosy.

There's a need to for us to understand the importance of eliminating leprosy too and increase awareness in order to do so.

This World Leprosy Day, let's take a look at it's symptoms, diagnosis and a few key facts.

SYMPTOMS

Leprosy primarily affects the skin and the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, called the peripheral nerves. It may also strike the eyes and the thin tissue lining the inside of the nose.

The main symptom of leprosy is disfiguring skin sores, lumps, or bumps that do not go away after several weeks or months. The skin sores are pale-colored.

It usually takes about 3 to 5 years for symptoms to appear after coming into contact with the leprosy-causing bacteria. Some people do not develop symptoms until 20 years later.

DIAGNOSIS

If you have a suspicious skin sore, your doctor will perform a skin biopsy, that is, remove a small sample of the abnormal skin and send it to a lab to be examined.

A skin smear test may also be done. With paucibacillary leprosy, no bacteria will be detected. In contrast, bacteria are expected to be found on a skin smear test from a person with multibacillary leprosy.

FACTS

1. There are three forms of leprosy – Tuberculoid, Lepromatous and Borderline

2. The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and also the eyes.

3. Leprosy is spread between people. This is thought to occur through a cough or contact with fluid from the nose of an infected person.

4. Leprosy is curable with multidrug therapy (MDT).

5. Although not highly infectious, leprosy is transmitted via droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close and frequent contacts with untreated cases.

6. Untreated, leprosy can cause progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.

7. In the past 20 years, 16 million people worldwide have been cured of leprosy.