Leprosy myth busters

One person is still diagnosed with leprosy every two minutes. Leprosy is still an important disease because of the disabilities it causes if left untreated. If everyone who got leprosy started regular treatment then permanent disabilities would be very rare. Stigma associated with the disease does stop people coming forward for treatment.Fighting prejudices associated with the disease is therefore imperative if we are to beat this disease.

Leprosy is caused by a bacteria. Leprosy is completely curable by killing the bacteria through a course of treatment called multi-drug therapy which consists of a combination of three drugs. Leprosy is always treated with at least two drugs, some people are treated with all three. This is to stop drug resistance developing. This is important because there are no alternative treatments for leprosy.Once you start treatment to kill the leprosy causing bacteria you are very quickly no longer infectious.

Leprosy can cause nerve damage in three main areas of the body (face, hands and feet). This nerve damage means that the sensory (hot/cold/pain) and motor function (movement) are compromised in these areas. This may mean that you lose the ability to blink, move your fingers or grasp objects.If a person with this sort of sensory/motor damage does not take precautions to protect themselves from injury this can lead to visible deformities and disabilities.  Simple injuries can lead to ulcers and infection. This can lead to shortening of digits (not dropping off). In time muscle wastage can result in wrist or ankle becoming locked in place affecting your ability to walk or even perform basic tasks. Where nerves in the face are affected, the loss of blinking function can lead to blindness.

Leprosy has a long incubation period. This means that often visible symptoms only appear later in life. However, as many as 44 per cent of new cases in some areas, are children.

This is simply not true. Leprosy is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium Leprae.

Once you start treatment to kill the leprosy causing bacteria you are very quickly no longer infectious. There is no need for someone who is diagnosed to be isolated.