Since 1954, Last sunday in January is identified as “World Leprosy Day” to increase the aware ness among people world wide. Leprosy is also called as Hansen’s disease. More than one million people are disabled due to Hansen’s disease.
WHO Statistics:
Around the world, 115 countries are affected by Leprosy. Brazil, Madagascar, India, Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Nepal account for more than 95% of total Leprosy cases. In India, Leprosy still disables 100 times more people than Polio every year.
Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by bacterium Mycobacterium Leprae. It mainly affects skin, mucus membranes and peripheral nerves. Leprosy is not a contagious disease. It is a air borne disease.
Leprosy types and symptoms:
1. Lepromatous leprosy -few well defined skin lesions.
2. Tuberculoid leprosy – Many skin lesions on both sides of the body.
Paucibacillary (PB) Hansen’s disease: It is amilder form and is characterized by one or more hypopigmented skin macules.
Multibacillary (MB) Hansen’s disease: It is associated with symmetric skin lesions, nodules, plaques, and bleeding from nose due to nasal congestion.
It usually takes about four years for tuberculoid leprosy symptoms to appear and about eight years for lepromatous leprosy symptoms to appear.
New Leprosy cases are in decline worldwide due to increased commitment by governments of developing world. Leprosy drug ‘Dapsone’ played a major role in the decline of Leprosy. Hansens disease is a completely curable disease.
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