Leprosy (from the Greek lepi, meaning scales on a fish), or Hansen's disease (HD), is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external sign. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Leprosy...
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Leprosy (from the Greek lepi, meaning scales on a fish), or Hansen's disease (HD), is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external sign. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Leprosy does not directly cause body parts to fall off on their own accord; instead they become disfigured or autoamputated as a result of disease symptoms.
Historically, leprosy has affected mankind for at least 4,000 years, and was well-recognized in the civilizations of ancient China, Egypt, and India, but it is unknown whether leprosy is the disease mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In 1995, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that between 2 and 3 million people were permanently disabled because of leprosy. In the past 20 years, 15 million...
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