Leprosy facts for kids

Leprosy is a sickness that can spread from person to person. It has been around for a very long time. Today, it is usually called Hansen's disease. This name comes from Gerhard Armauer Hansen, who discovered the tiny germ that causes it. This germ is a type of bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae. Someone who has leprosy is sometimes called a leper.

In 2004, about 400,000 new cases of leprosy were found.

It's actually quite hard to catch leprosy. You usually need to be very close to someone with the disease for a long time. Also, most people (about 95 out of 100) are naturally protected from it.

Most cases of leprosy are found in India and other countries where healthcare might not be as good. In richer countries, there are almost no cases of leprosy anymore. This is because we have good medicines and antibiotics that can kill the leprosy germs.

In the past, people sometimes thought leprosy was a punishment for bad things someone had done.

What are the Symptoms of Leprosy?

The signs of leprosy often show up as unusual spots or patches on the skin. These patches might be lighter than the skin around them, or they could be reddish. On these spots, hair might fall out, and the person might not be able to feel anything there. Nerves under the skin can also form small lumps.

As the sickness gets worse, the feeling of touch can become less and less. Eventually, the person might not feel anything at all in those areas. Sometimes, sores can form on the skin.

People usually do not die from leprosy itself. Instead, they might get other infections or illnesses because their body is weakened.

Leprosy in History

For many years, there was a special place for people with leprosy on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. It was called Kalaupapa. Thousands of people from the United States who had the disease were sent to live there.

Images for kids

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  New cases of leprosy in 2016.

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  A 24-year-old man from Norway with leprosy in the 1800s.

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  M. leprae, the germ that causes leprosy. It looks red when stained.

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  Doctors test for loss of feeling using a special tool.

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  Gerhard Armauer Hansen, who discovered the leprosy germ.

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  Where leprosy was found around the world in 1891.

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  Two people with leprosy not allowed into a town in the 1300s.

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  A bell used by people with leprosy in medieval times.

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  A 26-year-old woman with skin changes from leprosy.

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  A 13-year-old boy with severe leprosy.

See also

In Spanish: Lepra para niños