Because folklore surrounding the disease is still circulating, many people ask, “How can you catch leprosy?” Leprosy occurs when a person becomes infected with the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae.

How Can You Catch Leprosy? -- Mycobacterium Leprae

Mycobacterium leprae are part of the family Mycobacteriaceae, which is the same family as the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Mycobacterium leprae grow slowly and mainly affect the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes. Even in severe cases of leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae destruction is limited to the:

Skin
Peripheral nerves
Front portion of the eyes
Upper respiratory passages
Testes
Hands
Feet.

Most scientists believe that you can catch leprosy through infected respiratory droplets. While this may be one mode of leprosy transmission, over half of the people who develop leprosy have no confirmed contact with an infected person. Other factors that may play a role in a person developing leprosy include:

Genetics
The extent of exposure
Environmental conditions.

When a person becomes infected with Mycobacterium leprae, the bacteria begin to multiply within the body. After three to five years, leprosy symptoms can begin. This period between becoming infected and the start of symptoms is the “leprosy incubation period.” Although the incubation period for leprosy is typically between three and five years, it can range from six months to several decades.

(Click Leprosy Symptoms for more information about the symptoms associated with this disease.)