Aug. 2 (UPI) — Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease that causes severe skin lesions, is endemic in the southeastern United States, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Central Florida, in particular, accounted for 81% of reported cases in Florida and nearly one-fifth of cases reported nationally,” the report says.
The report cites a 54-year-old Central Florida man who said he had leprosy “with no points of threat to known routes of transmission. “
The report notes that the man has lived his entire life in central Florida, worked in landscaping and spends long periods outdoors.
“In summary, our case adds to the developing literature suggesting that central Florida represents an endemic position for leprosy,” the CDC report said. “Traveling to this region, even in the absence of other threat factors, awakens the attention of leprosy in the appropriate clinical context. “
Florida fitness officials reported more than a hundred cases in the five years ending in 2021. The CDC states that an endemic “refers to the consistent presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population in a geographic area. “
Six cases of leprosy were reported among California citizens between 2017 and 2022, and all were born in the United States, meaning they were not from a country where leprosy is still common. Worldwide, more than 200,000 people are diagnosed with leprosy each year. most commonly in Southeast Asia, according to the World Health Organization.
The CDC said that of the new cases of leprosy reported in the U. S. In the U. S. between 2015 and 2020, about 35% likely purchased it locally.