Is Lepra Contagious
Leprosy is only mildly contagious and is transmitted via frequent contact with an infected person or animal.
Is lepra contagious. The incubation period for leprosy ranges from two to 10 years. The bacterium responsible for leprosy. According to the centers for disease control and prevention cdc about 95 of humans are immune to the bacteria that cause this disease 1.
Leprosy is an infectious disease that causes severe disfiguring skin sores and nerve damage in the arms legs and skin areas around your body. It seems that it is only contagious when a person has untreated leprosy. Once the disease has been treated a person becomes noninfectious within a short period of time.
However acquisition of the disease usually occurs after long term months to years contact with an untreated individual with the disease. World leprosy day was started in 1954 to draw awareness to those affected by leprosy. The disease isnt highly contagious.
However if left untreated the nerve damage can result in crippling of hands and feet paralysis and blindness. Most specialists agree that more than 95 percent of the worlds population has a natural immunity to the disease. Leprosy also called hansens disease is a contagious disease.
In addition not all forms of this disease are contagious. Scientists currently think it may happen when a person with leprosy hansens disease coughs or sneezes and a healthy person breathes in the droplets containing the mycobacterium leprae bacteria. One way it spreads is from person to person.
However close repeated contact with an untreated person for a longer period of time can lead to contracting leprosy. Leprosy has been around since ancient times. Some consider the word leper offensive preferring the phrase person affected with leprosy.
Leprosy is an infection caused by mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy was once feared as a highly contagious and devastating disease but now we know it doesnt spread easily and treatment is very effective. Even so its actually hard to catch.
Prolonged close contact with someone with untreated leprosy over many months is needed to catch the disease. Leprosy is contagious but is considered to be only mildly contagious.