Leprosy can develop at any age but appears to develop most often in people aged 5 to 15 years or over 30. It is estimated that more than 95% of people who are infected with Mycobacterium leprae do not develop leprosy because their immune system fights off the infection. HowRead More →
Leprosy was once feared as a highly contagious and devastating disease, but now we know it doesn’t spread easily and treatment is very effective. However, if left untreated, the nerve damage can result in crippling of hands and feet, paralysis, and blindness. Do lepers still exist? Leprosy is no longerRead More →
Patients with lepromatous leprosy have a negative lepromin skin test, and biopsies of their skin lesions lack a granulomatous response and show large numbers of organisms (multibacillary). Why is lepromin skin test negative in lepromatous leprosy? The reason there is little or no response to the lepromin test is thatRead More →