Leprosy Disease

• Leprosy

Leprosy is a complex infectious disease caused by an infection with the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. This eMedTV article discusses the disease in detail, including its history, transmission methods, the various types, treatments, and prevalence.

• What Causes Leprosy?

This eMedTV article provides a detailed look at what causes leprosy (a bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae) and explains how it is transmitted, the damage it can cause, and factors that affect whether a person gets the disease.

• Mycobacterium Leprae

This eMedTV article provides an overview of Mycobacterium leprae, including its history, possible transmission methods, and recent statistics. This bacteria causes leprosy and mainly affects the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes.

• How Is Leprosy Spread?

How is leprosy spread? This eMedTV page discusses various theories on how leprosy is transmitted, including genetic factors that may play a role. Infected respiratory droplets are another possibility, but this only happens in about half of all cases.

• Leprosy Symptoms

About three to five years after becoming infected with the bacteria that cause leprosy, symptoms begin. This eMedTV article discusses these symptoms in detail for the two types of leprosy and explains why they can vary.

• Diagnosis of Leprosy

As this eMedTV page explains, in order for a doctor to make a diagnosis of leprosy, a patient's symptoms, medical conditions, and medications are considered. This page also explains tests that confirm the diagnosis and factors that can cause delay.

• Treatment of Leprosy

Treatment of leprosy, as this eMedTV segment explains, typically uses several antibiotics in combination. This segment also discusses supportive care, possible reactions to treatment, and prognosis with treatment.

• Effects of Leprosy

This eMedTV article discusses the effects of leprosy in detail (such as muscle weakness, a skin rash, and enlarged nerves). The article also explains factors that can affect the type of symptoms a person has and their severity.

• Cure Leprosy

In order to cure leprosy, doctors prescribe antibiotics that kill the bacteria responsible for the disease. This eMedTV article discusses the three most commonly used antibiotics and explains what happened to people prior to their development.

• Prevention of Leprosy

Currently, no vaccine is available for the prevention of leprosy. However, as this eMedTV page explains, researchers are actively looking for one. Until then, annual exams can help prevent the spread of disease, especially to household contacts.

• Leprosy -- American Statistics

According to this eMedTV page, each year in the United States, there are 200 to 250 new cases of leprosy. American statistics on the disease show that the largest numbers of cases are in California, Texas, and Florida, and affect mostly immigrants.