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Leprosy is a chronic infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, which mainly affects the peripheral nerves, the skin, the eyes and the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.
The condition is characterized by the appearance of cutaneous ulcers, and causes neurological damage that results in a lack of sensitivity in the skin (they stop sensing sensations of heat, cold and pain) and muscle weakness. It is transmitted from person to person and, although it is not very contagious, it can be contracted after close contact with sick and untreated people. Leprosy can be mild (tuberculoid leprosy), in which case it is not contagious, or severe (lepromatous leprosy).
The characteristic symptoms of leprosy are the cutaneous lesions, more serious in the case of the lepromatous form, which causes deforming protuberances of various sizes and shapes. The bacteria also affects the peripheral nerves and causes neurological damage in the arms and legs, causing loss of skin sensitivity and muscle weakness. By losing the ability to perceive sensations such as pain, cold or heat, patients can be injured or burned without realizing it.
Despite the fears it arouses, leprosy is a very difficult disease, since it is estimated that more than 90% of the population has a natural resistance to Mycobacterium leprae bacteria, so even if they are exposed to this pathogen agent, can take the infection and not suffer from the disease, thanks to their immune system prevents it from developing.
Leprosy, moreover, is not a hereditary disease, and environmental factors, such as lack of personal hygiene or housing, poor nutrition, and difficulty in accessing treatment as soon as the first symptoms occur are present. of risk associated with the appearance and spread of the disease.
It seems that it does not usually affect children under three months of age, and that pregnant women could transmit their infection to their fetuses. Therefore, they should be monitored in this situation for a subsequent diagnosis of the newborn.
The diagnosis of leprosy is based on the observation of skin rashes characteristic of this disease: whitish spots with diffuse borders or well defined (depending on the case) and lacking sensitivity to touch, pain, cold and heat. Taking a sample of the affected skin (skin biopsy) to analyze it with the microscope allows confirming the diagnosis and establishing the type of leprosy.
Another sign that may indicate the existence of the disease is presenting bodily areas numb or lack of sensitivity, or motor problems in the hands or feet.
If there is any suspicion of leprosy, the patient must undergo a complete physical examination that includes the skin, the peripheral nervous system, the eyes, the nose and the oral cavity, as well as the feet and testicles.
The best prevention to prevent the spread of leprosy is its early detection to establish the appropriate treatment as soon as possible. In addition, people who live or have had close contact with the patient should be examined by a doctor to rule out possible infections.
Antibiotics can slow the progression of leprosy, and even cure it, although, depending on the severity of the infection, many patients have to be medicated for life to prevent relapse.
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