A friend sent me this info last night and told me to "be careful" I hope he was being cheeky.

159 Cases in 2020 out of 21.7 M people. Okay - I think I can beat those odds.
Well it's coming from the CDC - so it is legit...right?

Out of curiosity - I googled causes of death in FL - so Leprosy would fall between Hernia and Viral Hepatitis.

How long until they blame this on DeSantis?

Cases of leprosy, 'historically uncommon' in US, surge in central Florida, CDC says

Cases of leprosy are surging in central Florida, according to a recent research letter shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The authors said that the Sunshine State has "witnessed an increased incidence of leprosy cases lacking traditional risk factors," with trends contributing to "rising evidence that leprosy has become endemic in the southeastern United States."

"Travel to Florida should be considered when conducting leprosy contact tracing in any state," they wrote.


The letter said that the number of reported leprosy cases in southeastern states has more than doubled in the last decade.

GEORGIA RESIDENT DIES FROM RARE BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA FOUND IN FRESHWATER LAKES

A central Florida man with leprosy
Lepromatous leprosy in a 54-year-old man in central Florida in 2022. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Citing the National Hansen's Disease Program, it said 159 new cases were reported in the U.S. in 2020, with Florida among the top reporting states.

Central Florida accounted for 81% of cases reported in the state and nearly a fifth of nationally reported cases.

"Whereas leprosy in the United States previously affected persons who had immigrated from leprosy-endemic areas, ≈34% of new case-patients during 2015-2020 appeared to have locally acquired the disease. Several cases in central Florida demonstrate no clear evidence of zoonotic exposure or traditionally known risk factors," the letter noted. Zoonotic diseases are caused by germs that spread between animals and people.

In one central Florida man, a 54-year-old without risk factors for known transmission routes, the authors reported lepromatous leprosy. Lepromatous leprosy is one of three main types of leprosy, and people who are infected with it have widespread sores and lesions. The disease is more contagious, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The man, who has lived in the area his whole life and is a landscaper, had sought treatment at a dermatology clinic for a painful and progressive erythematous rash. He denied recent foreign or domestic travel, exposure to armadillos, prolonged contact with immigrants from leprosy-endemic countries or connections with someone known to have leprosy.

That’s 159 new cases in the entire United States for 2020, only 31 of those cases in Florida.

The 159 new cases in 2020 is a ten year low.
95% of humans are immune.
Common anticacterial drugs are effective for those not immune.
Six states accounted for 110 of those cases: Florida, California, Louisiana, Hawaii, Texas, New York.
Link

In other words, don’t panic.

I have live in central Florida for the last 24 years this month and this is the first I have ever heard of this.

It’s awful in Florida. Highly recommend people not move to Florida, especially those from NY and NJ. Much safer up there.

Armadillo is the vector that transmits Leprosy. Leprosy appears to be from Georgia--> Central Florida after testing for DNA.
Rare.
Lot of armadillos in Florida--who knew.
Landscaper--infected soil must be transmission route. Armadillos are almost blind--follow paths along brush in search of insects. Underground burrows.
Probably similar to Toxoplasmosis --cats are vector. Don't eat cat poop--wash your hands after changing litter box.
Leprosy--wear gloves if outdoor gardening. Look for burrows--either moles or armadillos. Wash your hands after outside garden work.

quote:

Originally posted by 71 TRUCK:
I have live in central Florida for the last 24 years this month and this is the first I have ever heard of this.

That's probably because it's so freaking rare, as in getting hit by lightening, rare...

Somewhat of a manufactured story.

From the HRSA website:

Hansen's Disease and the Armadillo
A genetic study at the National Hansen’s Disease Program reports that armadillos may be a source of infection in the southern United States.
The National Hansen's Disease Program advises:
The risk of transmission from animals to humans is low, but armadillos are wild animals and should be treated as such, with all proper precautions.
Individuals should decide for themselves whether to interact with these animals and, if so, what precautions to take.

And this: 159 new cases were reported in the U.S. in 2020 (the most recent year for which data are available).
Most (110 or 69%) of these new cases were reported in
Florida
California
Louisiana
Hawaii
New York
Texas

Coincidence that four of the six states are places with large populations of illegals?

quote:

Originally posted by stoic-one:

quote:

Originally posted by 71 TRUCK:
I have live in central Florida for the last 24 years this month and this is the first I have ever heard of this.

That's probably because it's so freaking rare, as in getting hit by lightening, rare...

Somewhat of a manufactured story.

Isn't central Florida the also lightning capital of the country?