Leprosy Medical Definition
This nerve damage may result in a lack of ability to feel pain which can lead to the loss of parts of a persons extremities from repeated injuries or infection due to unnoticed wounds.
Leprosy medical definition. An infectious disease of the skin nervous system and mucous membranes that is caused by the bacteria mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy definition is a chronic infectious disease caused by a mycobacterium mycobacterium leprae affecting especially the skin and peripheral nerves and characterized by the formation of nodules or macules that enlarge and spread accompanied by loss of sensation with eventual paralysis wasting of muscle and production of deformities called also hansens disease. Definition leprosy is a slowly progressing bacterial infection that affects the skin peripheral nerves in the hands and feet and mucous membranes of the nose throat and eyes.
Leprosy is transmitted via person to person contact. For thousands of years leprosy was one of the worlds most feared communicable diseases because the nerve and skin damage often led to terrible disfigurement and disability.