ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida accounted for 81% of leprosy cases reported in Florida and almost one fifth of nationally reported cases, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a recently published research letter on the CDC’s website, the authors suggest that Central Florida “represents an endemic location for leprosy.”
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Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is an infectious disease that primarily affects the skin and the peripheral nerves, according to Florida Health.
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According to the report, several cases in Central Florida demonstrate no clear evidence of zoonotic exposure – caused by germs that spread between animals and people – or traditionally known risk factors.
The CDC reports that has leprosy been historically uncommon in the U.S. and its incidence peaked around 1983. There has been a drastic reduction in the annual number of documented cases that occurred from the 1980s through 2000, however reports demonstrate a gradual increase in the incidence of the disease.
Over the last decade, the number of reported cases has more than doubled in the southeastern states. According to the CDC, 159 new cases were reported in the U.S. in 2020, with Florida among the top reporting states.
“Whereas leprosy in the United States previously affected persons who had immigrated from leprosy-endemic areas, ≈34% [approximately equal to] of new case-patients during 2015–2020 appeared to have locally acquired the disease,” the CDC report read in part. “Several cases in central Florida demonstrate no clear evidence of zoonotic exposure or traditionally known risk factors.”
According to the CDC, the transmission of leprosy has not been fully explained, but prolonged person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets is the most widely recognized route of transmission.
To read the full CDC report, click here.
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