Health
Leprosy is becoming endemic in Florida, CDC says
Central Florida in particular accounts for 81% of the cases seen in the Sunshine State and makes up almost one-fifth of the cases reported throughout the whole country
August 1, 2023 9:16am
Updated: August 1, 2023 9:16am
Florida has seen a dramatic increase in the number of leprosy cases, leading health officials to suggest that the disease could become endemic in the United States.
Hansen’s disease, commonly known as leprosy, is a chronic disease that affects the skin and peripheral nervous system, causing progressive nerve damage, and the breakdown of limbs and flesh. The disease is commonly transmitted during prolonged person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets. Individuals who contracted leprosy can show symptoms months or years after being infected.
While the disease has been historically uncommon in the nation, the number of cases peaked around 1983 and has been in steady decline until 2020.
However, according to a recently published research letter by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of leprosy cases in the southeastern United States has been doubling over the past decade.
Since 2020 alone, there have been at least 159 reported cases of leprosy, according to data from the National Hansen’s Disease Program. About 70% of the cases were seen in Florida, California, Louisiana, Hawaii, Texas, and New York.
Most of the cases of leprosy have been concentrated in Florida, the CDC added. Central Florida in particular accounts for 81% of the cases seen in the Sunshine State and makes up almost one-fifth of the cases reported throughout the whole country.
Historically, leprosy cases in the U.S. have affected people who had immigrated from leprosy-endemic areas. However, the new cases appear to have been locally acquired. Additionally, the new cases do not show evidence of zoonotic exposure—the transmission from animals to humans—or other traditionally known risk factors.
The CDC said in the letter that it was reviewing “the mounting epidemiologic evidence supporting leprosy as an endemic process in the southeastern United States.”
The cases are currently being monitored by health authorities in Florida to prevent further cases from generating.
