1. What is Leprosy?

2. Caused by Mycobaterium leprae Mildly infectious
Leprosy…
Caused by Mycobaterium leprae
Mildly infectious
Sometimes slow to show symptoms
Curable
Leprosy is a mildly infectious disease cause by a relative of the TB germ called Mycobacterium leprae. It is probably spread by airborne infection – coughing and sneezing. It can stay in the body for many years without showing any symptoms, so many people who have leprosy don’t find out until years after they were first infected. Once someone is diagnosed they can be treated and cured.

3. Multidrug Therapy (MDT) Always cures leprosy
Makes patient non-infectious
Does not undo effects of leprosy
If a person comes to the doctor as soon as they think they might have leprosy, the person can be given medication to make them better. The person will be given three different tablets that they need to take every day for up to a year – this is called MDT, which stands for Multi Drug Therapy. You can see a picture of some of these tablets on the screen.
If the person has been diagnosed quickly, the medication will probably make them completely better. If they have come late and already have lots of problems, the treatment can still cure the bug that has caused the problems, but won’t really get rid of the problems – the damage has already been done. It should mean that they won’t get any worse though.

4. First Signs: Red or white patches Loss of feeling
Here are some pictures of what leprosy looks like during the early stages. Notice the patches on these boys’ skin. The disease starts by damaging the smaller nerves that control feeling on the skin’s surface. The first outward sign of leprosy is often a patch on the skin, often associated with loss of feeling. If it is diagnosed and treated at this early stage there will be no further damage.

5. Unfortunately, many people do not get treatment at this early stage
Unfortunately, many people do not get treatment at this early stage. If it is left untreated leprosy will attack, and ultimately destroy, nerves in the cooler parts of the body – the hands, feet and face.
When this nerve damage occurs, people lose feeling in the affected areas. This means that people affected by leprosy do not feel any pain when they stand on something sharp or pick up something hot. As a result, injuries are often ignored, leading to serious infection and ulcers.
Many people infected with leprosy live with this loss of feeling for years. This means that they have many repeated injuries and infections, which can lead to ever increasing disfigurement and can cause the bones to shorten so the fingers, toes and hands and feet may get smaller. The nose may also flatten and collapse.

6. Examples
Here are some pictures of people who lived with leprosy a long time before they were treated. You can see how loss of feeling has led to serious injuries and infections which resulted in disfigurement. Notice the shortened fingers and toes of the people in these pictures.

7. Hands - ‘Clawed’ Feet - Drop foot Face - Blindness
Loss of movement
Hands - ‘Clawed’ Feet - Drop foot Face - Blindness
Damage to the nerves does not only lead to the loss of feeling. As the damage to the nerves increases the nerves stop sending signals to the muscles in the affected areas. When this happens, people lose the abilities to move the affected muscles. This can lead to the hand becoming ‘clawed’ as the fingers bend round into the palm. ‘Drop foot’, where the foot drags along the ground, is caused in the same way. If the face is affected it can mean that the eyes lose the ability to blink. Without this regular cleaning and protection eyes can become infected which may eventually lead to blindness.

8. Leprosy Myths Myth 1: Leprosy causes body parts to simply fall off.
Myth 2: Leprosy is highly contagious. Just touching an infected person is dangerous.
These are not true!
Because of these symptoms, many people are afraid of catching leprosy. There are many myths surrounding the disease that make people even more afraid of leprosy. Because of the disfigurements that happen because of sensory loss, many people believe that leprosy causes body parts to simply fall off. This is not true. Another myth about leprosy is that it is extremely easy to catch, or contagious. Although you can catch leprosy, 95% of people are naturally resistant to it, so this too is false. It is never spread by touching someone who has it.

9. Stigma of Leprosy Not allowed to go to school Abandoned by family
Unable to find work
Abandoned by family
Excluded from community events
Fear, prejudice and superstition in many communities mean that people affected by leprosy don’t just have to cope with the effects of the disease itself; they often face stigma, persecution and injustice making life doubly difficult. People who have or once had leprosy are often unable to go to school, unable to find work and are rejected by their communities and families. It is important that people know the truth about leprosy so that people with leprosy are treated like everyone else.