I first heard about this in grade school, most likely in religion class. Or maybe it was one of the many little Bible storybooks we had at home. Either way. I immediately feared it. Leprosy.
It is mentioned throughout the Bible. It seemed to be as abundant as the common cold. They even had colonies of “Lepers,” here and there.
2 Chronicles 26:20-23 refers to a King Uzziah who had leprosy.
2 Kings 5:1 and 5:27 refer to a leading soldier in the army of the King of Aram who had leprosy.
Luke 5:13, Mark 1:40-42 and Matthew 8:3 all describe the moment when Jesus healed a man affected by leprosy.
Luke 17:12-24 describes the moment when ten men who had leprosy came and met Jesus asking for healing, which Jesus provided.
Matthew 10:8 quotes Jesus, who said, ‘Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleans those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely you give.’
You get the picture.
In today’s terms, leprosy is also known as Hansen’s disease. While it is rare in the United States, I’ve been reading about a recent resurgence. Apparently, cases are on the rise in Florida.
I was pretty shocked, really. I mean, leprosy sounds like an affliction from a long time ago. But now, the disease may be more present than we might expect.
A recently posted research letter published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there’s evidence that leprosy has become “endemic.” This is mostly happening in the Southeastern U.S., particularly in central Florida, where reported cases have more than doubled over the past decade.
The authors of the article say this. And I will quote the journal entry:
“… that about 34% of new cases in the U.S. from 2015 to 2020 appeared to be locally acquired, and that several patients weren’t exposed to “traditional risk factors,” such as close, prolonged contact with someone infected with leprosy, interaction with armadillos (which can be carriers of the disease) or having traveled to an area where the disease is common.”
Hold on here. Wait just a little minute. Armadillos? Did they say armadillos? I thought they stayed in Texas. And rarely, at that. But I looked up the little tank-like beasts. They live throughout the southern United States. And the area maps show them sporadically all the way up to Ohio. I would hit my helmet if I saw an armadillo.
And why are armadillos the ones who are carrying the disease?
From what I found out, leprosy doesn’t spread easily. The big thing that struck me is this: Transmission still isn’t completely understood, although it’s believed to spread primarily through respiratory droplets.
Public Service Announcement ONE: Don’t go near sneezing armadillos. EVER!
We are accusmtomed to hearing about illnesses such as influenza or COVID-19. Those types of infections are spread through droplets. Same with leprosy. But. The bacterium responsible for leprosy is so slow-growing that only extensive exposure will result in an infection.
An expert guy, named Dr. Lucar said this: “Because it’s so slow to reproduce, very prolonged close contact with untreated leprosy over several months is really needed to acquire the infection. And we know that people don’t get leprosy through casual contact, like hugging, shaking hands, or sitting next to someone with the disease.”
So apparently, you have to spend a LOT of time with the sick armadillo.
Which only begs the question: What are the people in Florida doing down there?
Well. I do know this. The experts are saying that leprosy doesn’t present a major health threat. But they are also telling everyone to take “simple measures such as treating people who have the disease so they aren’t contagious and avoiding contact with armadillos (or wearing gloves and washing your hands if you do have contact with them).”
So be well today, friends.
And steer clear of those armadillos.
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“Is God a man or a woman? God could be an armadillo. I have no idea.”
— Sherman Alexie
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“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
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“Your body hears everything your mind says.”
— Naomi Judd
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That sneezy, sniveling armadillo.
