It appears in the South and Southeastern USA armadillos can transmit leprosy, also known as Hansen's Disease, to humans.
The Hansen's Disease Research Program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana has been studying the disease for decades and for many years there was a leper colony nearby. The program is now part of the US Department of Health Resources and Human Services. Other government research entities have also participated in the research and dissemination of the information related to leprosy and armadillos.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, a branch of the National Institute of Health, has worked with the Hansen's Disease Program in Baton Rouge since 1973. Their original research led to the discovery of M. leprae in armadillos in Texas and Louisiana.
Recently Dr. Richard W. Truman PhD performed a study involving taking samples from wild armadillos with M. leprae and humans with M. leprae. Dr. Truman discovered that 64% of the human sample had a never before seen genotype of leprosy. The samples taken from the armadillos had more startling results - 85% of the armadillos had a never before seen genotype of leprosy - and it was identical to the one found in the human sample.
This lead to the startling conclusion that the wild armadillos were the source of leprosy in humans. Furthermore, it established leprosy as zoonosis - an infectious disease that can be transmitted back and forth between humans and animals.
The NAID published an article that is a must read on the subject. You can find it here.
About 150 - 200+ new cases of leprosy occur in the US each year. Nine new case have just been found in Florida and they are believed to be linked to armadillos.
The leprosy carrying armadillos are found in the Southeastern states:Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. It's been suspected for 40 years armadillos were the source of leprosy in the Gulf Coast states.
For more reading:
Armadillos Linked to Leprosy in Humans
Armadillos and Hansen's Disease (Leprosy)
Leprosy in the US May Be Transmitted by Armadillos Study Finds
The New England Journal of Medicine - Probable Zoonotic Leprosy in the Southern United States
© 2015 Beverly Hicks Burch All Rights Reserved.
