World Leprosy Day
World Leprosy Day established by French philanthropist Raoul Follereau is held on the last Sunday of January each year to raise public awareness about this ancient disease.
Here’s a brief history of how Hansen’s disease was viewed in the past…
Divine Curse or Sin
Hansen’s disease, also known as Leprosy was once known as a highly contagious, disfiguring and devastating fatal disease that was historically impossible to cure or prevent for thousands of years. This disease can affect people from young to old. In the 11th and 13th centuries, leprosy spread in Europe and in places in the Holy Land occupied by European Crusaders and pilgrims. Those with this disease were referred to as the “living death”, and treated as if they had already died. They were forced to live in isolation away from their closed ones for fear of contaminating other healthy people. To make matters worse, they were ostracized and shunned by the society as leprosy was considered to be a form of curse or a divine punishment for worldly sin.
Image Credit: Sciencenorway.no
Unearthing the Mystery
Norwegian scientist Gerhard Henrick Armauer Hansen first discovered the causative agent of leprosy, which is the slow-growing Mycobacterium leprae bacteria in 1873. It may take up to 20 years for signs of infection to develop as these bacteria grow very slowly, with an average incubation period of 5 years. Hansen became a key figure to prove that leprosy was a disease caused by a germ, and not a result of a curse or sin.
Image Credits: Britannica School
Identifying leprosy
The main affected sites due to this bacterial infection are the nerves, skin, eyes and lining of the nose. Symptoms experienced include discolored patches of skin, nodules on the skin, thick stiff or dry skin, painless ulcers on the soles of feet, painless swelling on the face or earlobes, and loss of eyebrows or eyelashes. If a person with leprosy is left untreated, they may have paralysis and crippling of hands and feet. Over time, reabsorption by the body will cause shortening of toes and fingers, growth of corneal ulcers and possibly blindness if facial nerves are affected.
Image Credits: World Health Organization (WHO)
Scientists believe that leprosy may be transmitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and a healthy person breathes in the droplets containing the bacteria. But don’t fret, as prolonged close contact with someone with untreated leprosy is required to catch this disease. As soon as patients start treatment, they will no longer be able to spread the disease. You are unlikely to get leprosy from direct contact from a person with Hansen’s disease such as shaking their hands, hugging, sitting next to them or eating a meal together. Hansen’s diseases is also not passed on to the baby during pregnancy as well as sexual contact.
Can a cure take place?
The good news is that this disease can be cured with medications within 6 to 12 months!
It was until the late 1940s that a cure was discovered. The first effective treatment promin became available, subsequently leading to use of additional anti-leprosy drugs such as clofazimine and rifampicin antibiotics. Later on, Indian scientist Shantaram Yawalkar and his colleagues formulated the Multi-drug therapy combining all three drugs rifampicin, dapsone and clofazimine which formed the best treatment for leprosy till today! In today’s current modern technology and medical advancement, early diagnosis and treatment with multidrug antibiotic therapy can prevent disability due to leprosy. People cured from Hansen’s disease can lead a normal active life during and after their treatment.
Image Credits: World Health Organization (WHO)
To date, there is no vaccine available to prevent leprosy specifically, and research is still underway. However, vaccines against tuberculosis (TB), also called BCG vaccine may provide some protection against leprosy as the organism is closely related to the one causing TB.
Global Leprosy Strategy 2021–2030 “Towards zero leprosy”
World Health Organization (WHO) has implemented a long term vision on zero leprosy: zero infection and disease, zero disability, zero stigma and discrimination. The goal is to eliminate leprosy by interrupting the transmission of this disease
4 strategic pillars developed to achieve the targets:
- Implement integrated, country-owned zero leprosy road maps in all endemic countries;
- Scale up leprosy prevention alongside integrated active case detection;
- Manage leprosy and its complications and prevent new disability; and
- Combat stigma and ensure human rights are respected. Interruption of transmission and elimination of disease are at the core of the Strategy.
A WORD FROM DOC2US
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Reference:
- Britannica. Leprosy. Available from https://www.britannica.com/science/leprosy/History
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hansen's Disease (Leprosy). Available from https://www.cdc.gov/leprosy/about/about.html
- Ilep. WHO Global leprosy strategy 2021–2030. Available from https://ilepfederation.org/global-leprosy-%E2%80%8Ehansens-disease%E2%80%8E-strategy-2021-2030-towards-zero-leprosy/#:~:text=The%20medium%2Dterm%20goal%20is,are%20expected%20to%20do%20so.
- Stanford. History of Leprosy. Available from https://web.stanford.edu/group/parasites/ParaSites2005/Leprosy/history.htm
