Leprosy

Leprosy

What is leprosy?

Leprosy is a chronic and infectious disease that mainly affects nerves and skin of human infected people. It is primarily caused by Mycobacterium leprae or the commonly called M. leprae which looks like a rod in shape bacillus.

How to minimize if not eliminate the stigma and discrimination of people who are infected by leprosy?

First, we should never define the infected people through their disease and never call them by the derogatory word “lepers”. We should never look down these people and their families. Instead we should give them and their families the needed support and accepting them for who and what they are in equilibrium with our treatment with other people. We should always bear in our minds the every person in this universe is create and born equal, with the same human rights and dignity.

How long will leprosy eventually disappear?

Leprosy requires a lengthy period of incubation which is about or between five (5) to twenty (20) years depending on the patient’s condition. Surveys said that the incidence of leprosy is diminishing a years go by. There are only fair number of new cases are diagnosed and like to grow less and less.

Will a person that has already body deformities can still be cured of leprosy?

General the leprosy disease can still be cured at any point of the stages of the illness. When we cured, it means that all the bacteria in the body that are causing the leprosy disease were totally eliminated and killed, thus stopping the infection. Only the bacteria can be all killed and terminated. However, the damaged and deformities in the body can not be anymore restored. It is because the leprosy is detected and treated only after permanent damages in the nerve damage has occurred and this is irreversible. The residual disabilities and deformities will be left as the proof of the disease. The disability or deformity can be prevented when the disease will be diagnosed in the early stage and treatment has been promptly and properly administered. Please note that any of the residual disabilities and deformities of leprosy will not be anymore a source of leprosy infection to another person.

How can anyone extend help in fighting against leprosy?

We are well informed and we have to recognize that leprosy is curable. The treatment of leprosy is provided free. It is a very wrong habit of stigmatizing people who are infected with leprosy. All we have to do is spread the message, the information about leprosy to our fellowmen so that they will be also knowledgeable about this disease and won’t look down those infected people.

Bacteria that Cause Leprosy

Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae or leprosy bacilli.

What is the mode of transmission of Leprosy?

The mode of transmission of Leprosy is through the air. It can be transmitted via the droplets coming from the nose and/or the mouth of the infected person who is not yet treated by way of close or frequent contact with the carrier.

Mode of Transmission

Airborne: inhalation of droplet/spray from coughing and sneezing of untreated leprosy patient

What are the basic signs and symptoms of leprosy?

The appearance of the patches on the skin is the first sign of leprosy. These patches on the skin are usually accompanied by numbness or loss of sensation in the areas affected.

Here are the basic signs and symptoms appearing on the person with leprosy:

• There will be a long standing skin lesions on the infection person that do not disappear with ordinary treatment
• The infected person will loss of feeling/numbness on the skin
• There will be loss of sweating and hair growth over the skin lesions on the infected person.
• There will be thickened and/or painful nerves in the neck, forearm, near elbow joint and the back of knees of the infected person.

Where can infected people ask for immediate treatment?

Basically the most possible and immediate way for the leprosy to be diagnosed in an infected person is through the nearest health center or health post as leprosy services have been integrated with general health services.

Immediate Treatment

The immediate treatment for Leprosy is Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT). The patient must go to the nearest health center for prompt treatment.

Prevention and Control of Leprosy

• All Leprosy cases should be treated in order to prevent spread of infection
• The young children should avoid direct contact with untreated patients
• People should always observe and practice personal hygiene
• People should maintain body resistance by healthful living through good nutrition, enough rest and exercises, and clean healthy environment

Is leprosy the same as Hansen’s disease?

Yes, the other name for leprosy is Hansen’s disease. It was named after the Norwegian doctor who discovered the M. leprae bacillus in 1873, who is Dr. G.A. Hansen. The use of the word “leper” is derogatory that is why Hansen’s disease is preferably used instead of leprosy in other countries like Brazil, Japan and the United States.

Is leprosy considered a very infectious disease?

Sometime, the leprosy disease is called the least infectious disease and this is contrary to the beliefs of many people. More than 85% of leprosy cases are noninfectious and do not spread the disease. Over 99% of people have a natural immunity or resistance to leprosy.

Is leprosy widespread?

There are about less than 300,000 people develop leprosy each year as per current reports. Also, there are more than 15 million people around the world have been cured of the disease since the MDT has been introduced in the early 1980s. Today, leprosy remains to be public health problem in some countries but it is only a handful.

What are there reasons, if any, in the isolation people with leprosy?

No. There is no medical or social justification as of today for isolating people infected with leprosy. People with leprosy can still continue with their normal way of life while they are receiving treatment. It would only stigmatize and reinforce age-old prejudices about the disease attempts of isolating people with leprosy.

Is treatment for leprosy expensive?

Treatment for leprosy costs nothing to the patient. The World Health Organization (WHO) has supplied MDT free to all patients in the world, initially with funding provided by The Nippon Foundation, and subsequently through MDT donated by Novartis and the ovartis Foundation for Sustainable Development whose medical support started since 1995.

How does leprosy lead to body deformities?

Leprosy can caused damages to the nerve of the infected person together with the other complications if it is not treated immediately on the early stage it was diagnosed.

The patients with leprosy lose their nerve feelings and together with the other complications. The patients with leprosy lose their feelings in their hands and feet, and then their muscles become paralyzed because the nerves supplying them have been impaired. Festering wounds or ulcers and susceptible to injuries are the results on people with leprosy disease. These deformed effects are not caused by the leprosy germs but by other organisms that brought about the secondary infections.