Best methods to prevent leprosy
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Leprosy is a chronic infection, generally caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatous. It causes damage mainly to peripheral nerves (nerves located outside the brain and spinal cord), skin, testicles, eyes and nasal mucous membranes and throat.
- The disease can be mild (with involvement of one or more areas of the skin) or severe (with involvement of numerous areas of the skin and lesions in other organs).
- There may be rashes and swelling (bumps), numbness of the affected areas and weakening of the muscles.
- The diagnosis is suggested by symptoms and confirmed by a biopsy of the infected tissue.
- Only antibiotics can stop the progression of leprosy but cannot remove neurological damage and disfigurement.
Classification of leprosy
A classification of leprosy can be made according to the type and number of skin areas affected:
- Paucibacillary: People with a maximum of 5 skin lesions have so-called paucibacillary leprosy. No bacteria can be detected in samples taken from these lesions.
- Multibacillary: People in whom there are at least 6 skin lesions and/or in whom bacteria can be detected in a sample of these affected areas of skin have so-called multibacillary leprosy.
- Tuberculoid: Typically, patients with tuberculoid leprosy have only a few skin lesions (paucibacillary) and the disease is mild, uncommon, and not very contagious.
- Lepromatous: Patients with lepromatous leprosy have more skin lesions (multibacillary), and the disease is more severe, frequent and contagious.
- Borderline: People with borderline leprosy have features of both tuberculoid leprosy and lepromatous leprosy.
Mode of transmission of leprosy: Leprosy can be transmitted from person to person by inhalation or contact with droplets expelled from the nose or mouth of an infected person. However, even after contact with the bacteria, most people do not contract the disease. Around half of the patients were probably contaminated following close and prolonged contact with an infected person.
Occasional and short-term contact does not appear to be sufficient to spread the disease. Contrary to popular belief, leprosy cannot be contracted simply by touching an infected person. Healthcare workers often work with infected patients for many years without becoming infected.
The best methods to prevent leprosy are:
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Avoid contact with body fluids and infected skin areas of a person with this disease.
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Avoid contact with the Tattoo of an infected person.
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People who are in contact with people with leprosy over the age of 2 years old can receive a single dose of the antibiotic rifampicin as a preventive treatment. This medication is only given after doctors have ruled out leprosy and tuberculosis and determined that people have no other problems that would prevent them from taking the medication.
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If you got contact with body fluids or infected skin areas of a leprosy person: wash your skin that were in contact with water, soap and Bleach.
The bacteria responsible for leprosy multiply very slowly, and signs of the disease therefore generally do not appear until at least a year after contamination. On average, symptoms appear 5 to 7 years after contamination, but it can take 20 to 30 years. Once declared, they evolve slowly.
So no panic to get it in the United Kingdom.
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