Leprosy is an infectious chronic disease which affects the nervous system and targets the cooler regions of the human body, namely the feet, face and hands.
Leprosy is recorded as the oldest ever existing disease. World Leprosy Day is observed on Sunday January 31 in order to increase awareness of the disease.
World Leprosy Day began with Raoul Fallereau aimed at making persons aware that those affected by the disease can be loved and cared for like all others who are ill; and that those in good health can remove the criminal fear of this disease and the people affected by it.
This day was also chosen in commemoration of the death of Mahatma Gandhi who understood the causes and effects of leprosy.
Leprosy, alternatively known as Hansen’s disease (HD), named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium Leprae and Mycobacterium Lepromatosis.
These bacteria affect the peripheral nerves and mucosa (moist tissue that lines some organs) of the upper respiratory tract.
If left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.
Contrary to folklore, leprosy does not cause body parts to fall off, although they can become numb and diseased as a result of infection; infection results in tissue loss, so fingers and toes become shortened and deformed as the cartilage is absorbed into the body.
Although the mode of transmission of Hansen’s disease remains uncertain, most investigators think that the Mycrobacterium Leprae is usually spread from person to person in respiratory droplets.
Health doctors further agree that leprosy cannot be transmitted sexually and is not highly infectious after treatment.
Symptoms of leprosy include hypo pigmentation of the skin; that is skin tone turns lighter than usual, numbness in hands and feet and muscle weakness.
Research also revealed that approximately 95% of people are immune to the disease and the sufferers are no longer infectious after as little as two weeks of treatment.
Leprosy is recognized in both civilized and uncivilized countries.
Living with leprosy can be quite challenging as well as traumatizing for the sufferers. It not only affects a person’s nervous system but also affects his or her social life.
The discrimination levels in certain countries are high and the infected persons are sometimes abandoned by their families. In an effort to eradicate this suffering of being homeless and feeling unloved and unwanted, governments around the world are opening homes for the leprosy afflicted.
Doctors warned that this disease has a long incubation period and symptoms may not appear instantly, making it difficult to say when the disease was contracted.
Since the disease is not inherited, it does not provide a reason for the process of procreation to be interrupted and persons suffering from leprosy can now have their own families.
To treat the disease, consultation of a doctor is advised as soon as possible and a suitable prescription will be provided. Early treatment of the disease can prevent further damage to the nervous system.