Leprosy Cases On Rise In Central FL: CDC

FLORIDA — Leprosy cases are on the rise in Florida, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is considered endemic, meaning it is regularly present in the region.

Also known as Hansen disease, the chronic infectious disease is caused by acid-fast rod Mycobacterium leprae, and primarily affects the skin and the peripheral nervous system.

While rare in the U.S., there’s been “a gradual increase” of the disease in recent years, the report said. In 2020, 159 cases were reported nationally with Florida among the states with the highest number of cases. And the number of cases in the Southeast has more than doubled.

Looking closer at the Sunshine State, Central Florida accounted for about 81 percent of all cases reported there and one-fifth of all U.S. cases, reaching an endemic level in the region, the CDC said.

In 2020, 27 cases were reported in Florida, according to Florida Health Charts. A breakdown by county wasn’t provided.

In 2021, there were 14 cases reported in Florida, the majority of them - five of them - found in Brevard County. Single cases were also reported in Broward, Charlotte, Duval, Hillsborough, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, Polk, St. Johns and Seminole counties, according to the FHC website.

Cases were also found in California, Louisiana, Hawaii, New York and Texas in 2020.

About 34 percent of all new leprosy cases reported from 2015 to 2020 were locally acquired, rather than being connected to travel from areas known for the disease, the CDC said.

Several cases in Central Florida demonstrated no clear evidence of zoonotic exposure or traditionally known risk factors.

In one case, a 54-year-old central Florida man went to a dermatology clinic “for a painful and progressive erythematous rash,” the report said. The lesions first appeared on his hands before spreading to his face and body.

“He denied any domestic or foreign travel, exposure to armadillos, prolonged contact with immigrants from leprosy-endemic countries or connections with someone known to have leprosy. He has resided in central Florida his entire life, works in landscaping, and spends long periods of time outdoors,” the report said.

Biopsies confirmed had leprosy and he was treated by a specialist and prescribed a triple-therapy treatment under the direction of the national Hansen’s Disease Program.

The CDC said that further research into the transmission of the disease is warranted, based on analysis of recent cases.

Medical professionals in Florida are required to report leprosy cases in the state by the next business day. Contact tracing is used to identify sources and reduce transmission of the disease, the CDC said.

With its endemic status in Central Florida, doctors should consider leprosy as a possibility for those living in or traveling from the area, according to the agency.