Armadillos carry the same strain of Mycobacterium leprae that causes leprosy in humans, but the disease is rare in the US and difficult to contract. However, some Americans have contracted leprosy after physical contact with armadillos, leading to research on other animals that may carry the disease. Leprosy can cause skin breakdown and nerve damage, but is easily treatable with antibiotics.
Armadillos and leprosy are linked because nine-banded armadillos, a species found in the southern United States, are also vulnerable to the same strain of Mycobacterium leprae that causes leprosy in humans. Leprosy is rare in the United States (USA), affecting no more than a few hundred people each year. Most of these people are believed to have contracted the disease by traveling to foreign countries where leprosy occurs more frequently, although fewer American leprosy victims contract the disease without ever venturing beyond the borders of the United States. Leprosy is considered a relatively difficult disease to contract, so much so that the link between armadillos and leprosy is not generally considered a sign that armadillos could threaten human health on a large scale. Only about one-fifth of armadillos in the United States are infected with leprosy, and humans typically have to eat or handle the creatures for a long time to get leprosy from them.
People usually contract leprosy only after prolonged exposure to a leprosy patient. However, many people have contracted the disease without being exposed to another person who has the disease. The discovery of a connection between armadillos and leprosy may explain how people who have not had prolonged contact with a leprosy patient can contract the disease.
Research has shown that a small number of American leprosy patients have had physical contact with armadillos. The connection between armadillos and leprosy has been confirmed with DNA testing of bacterial samples. Samples from leprosy patients were compared with samples of armadillos from the area and it was found that some of these armadillos were infected with the same type of leprosy bacteria that infected the patients.
Checking for a connection between armadillos and leprosy could mean that other types of animals are capable of carrying or suffering from this bacterial disease. Some doctors believe this could explain the prevalence of leprosy in other countries, where different types of animals may be responsible for the spread of the disease.
Leprosy is a bacterial disease that can cause skin breakdown and nerve damage. If the disease is not treated, extreme muscle weakness can eventually occur. The disease is generally easy to treat with antibiotics and is not considered a widespread threat. Leprosy is an ancient disease, and scientists believe modern humans have largely become resistant to it.
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