Leprosy is a disease well known from biblical times, especially from the story of Jesus curing the lepers. In biblical films the lepers always looked haggard, their clothes were filthy rags and their skin bore open, oozing sores, their faces were always covered and extremities hidden. I remember, as a child, how I thought they must be soulless, and not human, for how could God create such a thing.  

Leprosy is a tragic disease. It dominates in third world countries and it comes with deep rooted stigmas of being highly contagious and contracted through negative spiritual karma. In India a person can be excommunicated, divorced and excluded from family inheritance. The sick are socially rejected and become beggars.

In the 1980’s a cure was developed, and since 1995 it has been made available, for free, to all who need it by the World Health Organization (WHO). More than 16 million people have been cured, yet leprosy is still infecting thousands of people worldwide. There were approximately 212,000 new cases in 2010, but until the stigma is eliminated, new cases will persist.

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, an acid-fast, rod-shaped bacillus, which mainly affects the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and skin around the nose, mouth and eyes.

Leprosy is only mildly infectious and transmitted via droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close and frequent contacts with untreated cases. M. leprae multiplies very slowly, the incubation period is about five years and symptoms might not appear for 20 years.

There are three forms of the disease: tuberculoid, borderline, and lepromatous. Lepromatous is the most severe form. 

Armadillos are the only other known host for M. leprae and it is thought to be because of their low body temperature.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/parasites/ParaSites2005/Leprosy/bio.htm

http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/fox/mycobacteria.htm

http://www.who.int/lep/en/