Originally published August 1, 2023 6:36 am PDT
A concerning rise in leprosy cases, also known as Hanson’s Disease, is being observed in the southeastern United States, according to the latest report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The disease, which originates from the slow-growing bacteria Mycobacterium leprae, can result in serious damage to nerves, skin, eyes, and the nasal mucosa.
The CDC asserts that while over 95% of all people possess natural immunity to the disease, it can be transmitted via prolonged, close contact or potentially through interaction with armadillos.
Published in the August 2023 edition of Emerging Infections Diseases journal, researchers from the Kansas City University-Graduate Medical Education/Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery Consortium have cited significant concerns over the rising incidence in the U.S.
They shared, “Leprosy has been historically uncommon in the United States; incidence peaked around 1983, and a drastic reduction in the annual number of documented cases occurred from the 1980s through 2000. However, since then, reports demonstrate a gradual increase in the incidence of leprosy in the United States.”
The researchers point out that the number of cases in southeastern states has doubled over the last decade.
According to the National Hansen’s Disease Program, there were 159 new cases reported in the United States in 2020 alone, with Florida being a prominent source of new cases.
An unusual case surfaced in Florida involving a lifelong resident with no history of contact with the disease, suggesting the possibility of local transmission.
Meanwhile, Texas reported a case involving a heavily tattooed man originally from Samoa, a region where leprosy is endemic.
After months of mysterious skin rashes, his condition is improving post treatment.
Surprisingly, the researchers found that a high percentage of cases in the southern U.S. carried the same unique strain of M. leprae as nine-banded armadillos, indicating possible zoonotic transmission.
However, some cases lacked exposure to zoonotic sources or recent residence outside the U.S.
This led the researchers to suspect that “international migration of persons with leprosy is a potential source of autochthonous transmission.”
They noted the number of international migrants has more than doubled since 1990, suggesting a possible link to the increased incidence.
“The number of international migrants in North America increased from 27.6 million persons in 1990 to 58.7 million in 2020, so a link to migration may account for the increase in incidence of leprosy in historically nonendemic areas,” the CDC website reads.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has updated its list of diseases with “public health significance” to include leprosy, in addition to Gonorrhea, Syphilis and Tuberculosis, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
On Saturday, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, a border state, renewed his state’s disaster proclamation due to the “surge of individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas–Mexico border” who pose “an ongoing and imminent threat of disaster for a number of Texas counties and for all state agencies affected by this disaster.”
A June analysis by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) of Census Bureau data revealed that at least 16.8 million illegal aliens now reside in the United States, the figure representing an increase of 1.3 million just since the beginning of 2022, and 2.3 million since Joe Biden took office in January 2021.
Along with the increase in cases of disease, the illegal alien population brings an increase in costs to American taxpayers.
According to FAIR, “The unprecedented rate of influx of new illegal aliens over the past year would add $12.6 billion annually to the costs of illegal immigration, bringing the cumulative net cost to at least $163 billion a year. At the current pace of illegal immigration, the annual net cost will exceed $200 billion by 2026.”
