Who is at risk for leprosy

Lepr Rev ; 75 : — Nonhuman sources of leprosy. Thorns in armadillo ears and noses and their role in the transmission of leprosy. Arch Pathol Lab Med ; : — Armadillo exposure and Hansen's disease: an epidemiologic survey in southern Texas. J Am Acad Dermatol ; 43 : — Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Sign In or Create an Account. Sign In. Advanced Search. Search Menu. Article Navigation. Close mobile search navigation Article Navigation. Volume Article Contents Abstract. Materials and methods. Socioeconomic, environmental, and behavioural risk factors for leprosy in North-east Brazil: results of a case—control study. E-mail: ligia ufc. Oxford Academic. Google Scholar. Clara MN Evangelista. Laura C Rodrigues.

Jorg Heukelbach. Hermann Feldmeier. Select Format Select format. Permissions Icon Permissions. Leprosy , epidemiology , risk-factors , behavioural , environmental , socioeconomic-cultural , North-east Brazil. Figure 1. Open in new tab Download slide. Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of leprosy cases and controls. Juazeiro do Norte. Morada Nova. Open in new tab. Table 2 Bivariate analysis of demographic, socioeconomic, behavioural, and environmental variables with leprosy. Case no.

Control no. Crude odds ratio CI a. Table 3 Results of the multivariate hierarchical analysis. Socioeconomic block. Behavioural block. Vaccination block. High education 1 Middle education 1. Am J Epidemiol. Trop Med Int Health. Lepr Rev. Wkly Epidemiol Rec. Int J Epidemiol. Int J Lepr. Infection of the nerves makes the skin numb or the muscles weak in areas controlled by the infected nerves.

Tuberculoid leprosy: A rash appears, consisting of one or a few flat, lighter areas with sharp, raised borders. Areas affected by this rash are numb because the bacteria damage the underlying nerves. Lepromatous leprosy: Many small or larger raised bumps of variable size and shape appear on the skin. There are more areas of numbness than in tuberculoid leprosy, and certain muscle groups may be weak. Much of the skin and many areas of the body, including the kidneys, nose, and testes, may be affected.

In affected men, the breasts may enlarge. People may lose their eyelashes and eyebrows. Borderline leprosy: Features of both tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy are present. Without treatment, borderline leprosy may become less severe and more like the tuberculoid form, or it may worsen and become more like the lepromatous form. The most severe symptoms result from infection of the peripheral nerves, which causes deterioration of the sense of touch and a corresponding inability to feel pain and temperature.

People with peripheral nerve damage may unknowingly burn, cut, or otherwise harm themselves. Repeated damage may eventually lead to loss of fingers and toes. Also, damage to peripheral nerves may cause muscle weakness that can result in deformities. For example, the fingers may be weakened, causing them to curve inward like a claw. Muscles may become too weak to flex the foot—a condition called footdrop. Infected nerves may enlarge so that during a physical examination, doctors can feel them.

Tuberculoid leprosy causes a rash consisting of lighter areas with sharp, raised borders. Areas affected by this rash are numb because the bacteria damage the nerves underneath. Skin infection can lead to areas of swelling and lumps, which can be particularly disfiguring on the face. Nose: Damage to the nasal passages can result in a chronically stuffy nose and nosebleeds and, if untreated, complete erosion of the nose.

Eyes: Damage to the eyes may lead to glaucoma Glaucoma Glaucomas are a group of eye disorders characterized by progressive optic nerve damage often, but not always, associated with increased eye pressure that can lead to irreversible loss of vision Sexual function: Men with lepromatous leprosy may have erectile dysfunction impotence and become infertile.

The infection can reduce the amount of testosterone and sperm produced by the testes. Kidneys: The kidneys may malfunction. Kidney failure is the inability of the kidneys to adequately filter metabolic waste products from the blood. During the course of untreated or even treated leprosy, the immune system may produce inflammatory reactions. These reactions can cause fever and inflammation of the skin, peripheral nerves, and, less commonly, the lymph nodes, joints, testes, kidneys, liver, and eyes.

The reactions can also contribute to nerve damage. The skin around bumps may swell and become red and painful, and the bumps may form open sores. People may have a fever, swollen lymph glands, and painful joints. Find out what helps. If your child develops scabies, everyone in your household will need treatment. Follow this advice to treat everyone safely and effectively. We're helping you achieve YourHealthiestSkin from head to toe.

Use these tips from dermatologists to keep all your skin looking and feeling its best. AAD Shade Structures provide permanent outdoor shade in areas that are not protected from the sun. When it comes to treating the skin, plenty of people say they have expertise. Only a board-certified dermatologist has these credentials. In recent years, a few people in the United States have been diagnosed with leprosy, a disease that many believe no longer exists.

In the United States, leprosy is no longer an uncontrollable disease. It can be cured. With treatment, you can prevent problems, such as the loss of feeling or blindness. These problems can only develop when someone has leprosy for a long time. Today, we also know how to reduce the risk of catching it. In the southern United States, some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacteria that cause Hansen's disease. You may be at risk for the disease if you live in a country where the disease is widespread.

However, as soon as patients start treatment, they are no longer able to spread the disease. The distribution of new leprosy cases by country among countries that reported to WHO in Thirty countries reported zero new cases.