Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by

the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis.[4][8] Initially, a person who is

infected does not have symptoms and typically remains this way for 5 to 20 years.[4] Infection can
lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes.[4] This damage may result in a lack of
ability to feel pain, which can lead to the loss of parts of extremities from repeated injuries or
infection due to unnoticed wounds.[3] An infected person may also experience weakness and poor
eyesight.[3]
Leprosy is spread between people, although extensive contact is necessary.[9][3] Spread is thought to
occur through a cough or contact with fluid from the nose of a person infected by leprosy.[9] Leprosy
is not spread during pregnancy to the unborn children or through sexual contact.[9] Leprosy occurs
more commonly among people living in poverty.[3] Genetic factors may also play a role in
susceptibility.[10] The two main types of disease – paucibacillary and multibacillary – differ in the
number of bacteria present.[3] A person with paucibacillary disease has five or fewer poorly
pigmented numb skin patches while a person with multibacillary disease has more than five.[3] The
diagnosis is confirmed by finding acid-fast bacilli in a biopsy of the skin or by detecting the
bacteria's DNA using polymerase chain reaction.[3]
Leprosy is curable with multidrug therapy.[4] Treatment of paucibacillary leprosy is with the
medications dapsone, rifampicin, and clofaziminefor six months.[11] Treatment for multibacillary
leprosy uses the same medications for 12 months.[11] A number of other antibiotics may also be
used.[3] These treatments are provided free of charge by the World Health Organization.[4] People
with leprosy can live with their families and go to school and work.[12] At the end of 2016, there were
173,000 leprosy cases globally, down from 5.2 million in the 1980s.[4][13][14]The number of new cases
in 2016 was 216,000.[4] Most new cases occur in 14 countries, with India accounting for more than
half.[4][3] In the past 20 years, 16 million people worldwide have been cured of leprosy.[4] About 200
cases per year are reported in the United States.[15]
Leprosy has affected humanity for thousands of years.[3] The disease takes its name from
the Greek word λέπρᾱ (léprā), from λεπῐ́ς (lepís; "scale"), while the term "Hansen's disease" is
named after the Norwegian physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen.[3] Leprosy has historically been
associated with social stigma, which continues to be a barrier to self-reporting and early
treatment.[4] Separating people affected by leprosy by placing them in leper colonies still occurs in
some areas of India,[16] China,[17] and Africa.[18] However, most colonies have closed, since leprosy is
not very contagious.[18] Some consider the word "leper" offensive, preferring the phrase "person
affected with leprosy".[19] Leprosy is classified as a neglected tropical disease.[20] World Leprosy
Day was started in 1954 to draw awareness to those affected by leprosy.[21]