Leprosy

Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease), is a chronic infectious disease that primarily affects the peripheral nerves, skin, upper respiratory tract, eyes, and nasal mucosa. The disease is caused by a bacillus (rod-shaped) bacterium known as Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae).

What is Leprosy?

Leprosy is a chronic infection caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae.

Leprosy Diagnosis and Classification

Leprosy Epidemiology

Leprosy Prevention and Vaccination

Leprosy Treatment

Forms of Leprosy

Genetics and Susceptibility to Leprosy

Signs and Symptoms of Leprosy

History of Leprosy

Leprosy Causes

Leprosy Complications

Notable Cases of Leprosy

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Leprosy Research

Leprosy Stigma

Latest Leprosy News and Research

Aggressive lung pathogen may not be prone to person-to-person transmission

A little-known bacterium -; a distant cousin of the microbes that cause tuberculosis and leprosy -; is emerging as a public health threat capable of causing severe lung infections among vulnerable populations, those with compromised immunity or reduced lung function.

30 May 2023

World Health Day: Giving Universal Health Coverage a Platform

News Medical commemorates World Health Day by reflecting on the past, present, and potential of public health, with a particular focus on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and its importance to public health.

6 Apr 2023

Parasites associated with leprosy may have the ability to regenerate livers

Leprosy is one of the world's oldest and most persistent diseases but the bacteria that cause it may also have the surprising ability to grow and regenerate a vital organ.

15 Nov 2022

New insights into the dynamic inner world of the human immune system

As researchers glean new insights into the dynamic inner world of the human immune system, it has become increasingly clear that mitochondria are critical regulators of how our bodies respond to disease.

3 Nov 2022

Harmless group of bacteria linked with increased risk of death in patients with end-stage renal disease

A big group of bacteria found in our soil, our water and our showerheads are harmless for most of us, but a new study indicates they are associated with an increased risk of dying in individuals whose kidneys have failed.

25 Oct 2022

Tattoos can induce bloodstream infections

A recent review describes the characteristics of systemic bacterial infections associated with tattoos.

28 Aug 2022

The BCG vaccine against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in type 1 diabetic adults

A recent article demonstrated that BCG vaccinations might offer a platform for protection against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and other pathogenic infections in type 1 diabetics.

17 Aug 2022

Early success of shorter tuberculosis treatment in Nigeria could pave the way for nationwide rollout

Early success with Nigeria's implementation of the new and shorter six-month tuberculosis treatment regimen in four states could pave the way for its rollout nationwide, says an expert.

10 Jun 2022

Researchers use bacteriophages to treat antibiotic-resistant mycobacterial lung infection

For the first time, researchers have successfully used bacteriophages – viruses that kill bacteria – to treat an antibiotic-resistant mycobacterial lung infection, clearing the way for a young National Jewish Health patient with cystic fibrosis to receive a life-saving lung transplant.

13 May 2022

WHO urges everyone to confront inequalities that characterize neglected tropical diseases

To mark World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (WNTDD), the World Health Organization is calling on everyone, to rally to confront inequalities that characterize NTDs and ensure that the poorest and marginalized communities who are mostly affected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) receive the health services they need.

1 Feb 2022

WHO commemorates World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day with focus on promoting health equity

The World Health Organization kicked off this year's commemoration of World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day under the theme 'Achieving health equity to end the neglect of poverty-related diseases' with a call to focus more on strengthening interventions in order to promote equitable health services for all.

28 Jan 2022

WHO and Sanofi sign new agreement to sustain specific efforts to eliminate NTDs

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Sanofi – one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies – have signed a new agreement for donations of medicines to sustain specific efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

16 Dec 2021

ACTG announces launch of clinical trial evaluating a three-month TB treatment

The AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), the largest global HIV research network, today announced the launch of A5362 (CLO-FAST), a clinical trial studying a three-month clofazimine- and high-dose rifapentine-containing treatment regimen for people with drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB).

10 Nov 2021

Pairing bacteriophages with antibiotics to fight drug-resistant pathogens

Mycobacterium abscessus, a relative of the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, is responsible for particularly severe damage to human lungs and can be resistant to many standard antibiotics, making infections extremely challenging to treat.

18 Sep 2021

VALIDATE Network’s TB vaccine work receives $1.5 million funding boost

The Oxford-run VALIDATE Network has received $1.5 million in funding for its tuberculosis vaccine work from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

23 Aug 2021

New book provides insight into the pathophysiology of leprosy

Leprosy remains one of the biggest public health problems in many countries. It is a complex disease in several aspects, including clinical, histopathological, and molecular.

29 May 2021

Zoonotic and vector-borne emerging tropical diseases pose a constant threat

A recent article published in the journal Frontiers in Tropical Diseases assessed the threat of emerging zoonotic and vector-borne tropical diseases.

26 May 2021

World Malaria Day 2021: An interview with Sir Brian Greenwood

News-Medical interviews Sir Brian Greenwood about raising awareness for malaria during the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving elimination of the disease.

23 Apr 2021

Clofazimine inhibits coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, study finds

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong found that Clofazimine, a lipophilic antimicrobial riminophenazine dye used in combination with agents like rifampicin and dapsone to treat leprosy, inhibits coronaviruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.

21 Mar 2021

World Health Organization, Sanofi sign new agreement to eliminate neglected tropical diseases

15 Dec 2020

Leprosy

Overview

Leprosy Diagnosis and Classification

Leprosy Epidemiology

Leprosy Prevention and Vaccination