# Leprosy....

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leprosy/173252>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 5, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leprosy/173252 "2003-05-05T19:20:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SwimmingwithChickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SwimmingwithChickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingwithChickens)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leprosy/173252/1 "2003-05-05T19:20:39Z")

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Have we figured out what causes leprosy? A buddy of mine said that it is somehow related to armadillos but that’s about all the information I got. When I googled it I came up with treatments and “telltale” signs of leprosy, but no causes.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leprosy/173252/2 "2003-05-05T19:31:51Z")

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Leprosy is caused by the bacteria [Mycobacterium leprae](http://www.bacteriamuseum.org/species/Mleprae.shtml).

Narsty stuff, that.

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**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leprosy/173252/3 "2003-05-05T19:36:24Z")

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Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s Disease. It’s a bacterial infection.

[This page should help you.](http://bphc.hrsa.gov/nhdp/FAQS_MAIN_PAGE.htm)

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**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leprosy/173252/4 "2003-05-05T22:55:09Z")

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Armadillos are carriers of leprosy, and have been used (with limited sucess) in leprosy research since they are one of the very, very few animals that are susceptible to the disease.

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**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leprosy/173252/5 "2003-05-06T02:16:52Z")

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Cecil speaks on [armadillos carrying leprocy](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990219.html).

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**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leprosy/173252/6 "2003-05-06T02:57:18Z")

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Just so you know, leprosy can be treated these days. It’s not the huge problem it used to be. The bacterium is kind of tough to kill, since it has a waxy coating that can be hard for antibiotics to penetrate, but that can be overcome.