According to an article published in HealthDay, a research letter published by Adler et al in The New England Journal of Medicine described six cases of autochthonous leprosy in California recorded between 2017 and 2022. The authors stressed that leprosy—caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacteria and now called Hansen’s disease—is rare, not transmittable among individuals, and does not pose a public threat. In the new report, investigators noted that all six patients were male, with a mean age of 68.3 years, were born in the United States, and were treated at the University of Southern California Hansen’s Disease Clinic. The investigators revealed that leprosy most commonly affects younger individuals, and in the United States, most reported cases have occurred among individuals who are from areas of the world where the disease remains endemic and appears regularly. Although it was unclear how the six patients contracted the disease, prior research has shown that U.S. individuals may be exposed to the leprosy bacterium after coming into contact with armadillos. In the southern United States, certain armadillos are naturally infected, and in some cases, patients have reported encountering the animal. The investigators shared that one patient had encountered an armadillo, though it was 50 years prior to their diagnosis; however, the experts added that the bacterium grows slowly, and it can take years to develop symptoms. Patients who receive a timely diagnosis can receive antibiotics to potentially cure the disease.
July 13, 2023