The new letter says Central Florida accounted for 81% of cases in Florida and nearly 1 out of 5 leprosy cases nationwide. Leprosy, A Rare DiseaseAlso known as Hansen’s disease, leprosy is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae, which attacks nerves under the skin. But that need not cause a public health panic, said Dr. Nicole Iovine, chief hospital epidemiologist at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Challenges in Diagnosis and TreatmentStill, the cluster of potentially endemic cases in Central Florida worries Iovine. Given that delay, it can be challenging to track the source and spread of a leprosy infection.

Source: CNN August 02, 2023 07:37 UTC