The world of Tzu Chi February 2020 (Vol.119)

2020 • 02 08 eature What is leprosy? Leprosy is a chronic, infectious disease that mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucous membranes in the upper respiratory tract and the eyes, leading to disfigurement, disability and nerve damage if left untreated. It is also known as Hansen’s disease after Norwegian physician Gerhard-HenrikArmauer Hansen, who discovered Mycobacteruim leprae, the bacteria that causes leprosy, in 1873. The word “leper” was historically used to refer to leprosy patients and evolved to be used more generally to mean “an outcast” or “a person to be avoided”, as leprosy patients have often been stigmatized and isolated from society. Leprosy is spread through contact with fluid secreted from the mouth or nose of someone infected with the disease, usually when an untreated leprosy patient sneezes or coughs. Transmission of the disease through casual contact is unlikely.