![]() ![]() ![]() We believe the prevalence of leprosy in wild armadillos requires that they be considered a source of infection in patients from geographic areas where leprosy and armadillos co-exist. In the United States, nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) populations are derived from two sources: (1) a continuous range expansion from Mexico. Leprosy (Hansens disease) is a chronic infectious disease of mankind caused by Mycobacterium le- prae. Extensive contact with armadillos has been implicated by other observers in seven patients with leprosy in Texas. The discovery of naturally acquired leprosy in a chimpanzee in 1977 and a sooty mangabey monkey in 1979 reinforce the concept of leprosy as a zoonosis. Armadillos are one of the only known animals to carry leprosy, an age-old disease that causes skin and nerve damage. leprae, they’re leading models for piloting new therapies and diagnostics. Surveys involving large numbers of animals demonstrate a significant prevalence of the disease in armadillos captured in Louisiana and Texas. Some armadillos, placental mammals with leathery armor, are naturally infected with leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. armadillos rapidly became the hosts-of-choice for in vivo propagation of leprosy bacilli, and, since armadillos and humans are the only hosts that can develop extensive neurological involvement with M. Confirmation is based on the results of histopathologic examination and microbiologic evaluations that included attempts to culture the organism, flourescent antibody studies, mycolic acid analysis, and DNA determinations demonstrating complete relatedness between the natural agent and M. Leprosy, also known as Hansens disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Our studies and those of others during this period confirm the identification of the etiologic agent as Mycobacterium leprae. Prolonged, close contact with someone with untreated leprosy over many months is needed to catch the disease. In the U.S., there are only about 150 to 250 cases of human infections reported. In fact, there have only been a handful of cases reported in the United States of people catching leprosy from nine-banded armadillos. However, the risk of catching leprosy from an armadillo is low. In 25 Americans with leprosy who lived in areas where armadillos roam, the disease matched a unique. The short answer is yes, you can catch leprosy from an armadillo. A decade has passed since our first report of naturally acquired leprosy in the nine-banded armadillo. Now, a new study finds that the disease is capable of jumping back from armadillos to humans. ![]()
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