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Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is one of those diseases we no longer hear about. About 90% of the population (paywall) is actually immune to skin and nerve-damaging bacterial infections, and leprosy is both curable with antibiotics and rarely fatal. Although the disease is still endemic in some parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization, there have been only 216,000 cases reported last year. In perspective, the flu kills between 300,000 and 650,000 people every year and infects hundreds of thousands of others.
But some parts of the world are absurd: Brazil is the only country where leprosy rates are higher than one case per 10,000 people. Tens of thousands of cases are reported every year, and these numbers probably underestimate the true prevalence of the disease. This is because most Brazilians who end up with these infections live in rural areas, where access to health care is limited. In addition, it can take years for [Mycobacteriumleprae the bacterium that causes the disease to reach a state where a person is experiencing symptoms. In other words, most people are unaware that they have contracted the bacteria, and even if they did, they may not be able to seek treatment.
Leprosy can be transmitted from one person to another. It usually spreads to people who live in close contact with each other for long periods of time, such as families. Usually, however, it takes years of life for an infected person to contract the disease that way. A much faster way to contract M. leprae is having an appetite for the armadillo.
"The armadillos are a kind of delicacy – think of it as a lobster." A study published today (June 28) in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases estimates that more than 60% of forest tattoos carry M. leprae and transmits it frequently to people who live, who eat it as a source of protein. "Armadillos are a kind of delicacy – think of it as lobster," says John Spencer, an immunologist who has studied leprosy for years at Colorado State University and led the study.
They are also ideal hosts for M. leprae. These bacteria grow at a specific temperature – 34 ° C (93 ° F) – which happens to be the body's internal body temperature. M. leprae invades the cells of armadillo bodies, and uses them as a place to feed and reproduce. The bacteria do not produce toxins, so the armadillo does not get sick right away (and no other host). Instead, bacteria reproduce and reproduce; after about a year, the large number of Mr. leprae cells kill the creature.
Humans are not the best host for M. leprae since our core body temperature is higher at 37 ° C (98 ° F). However, bacteria can survive in our skin cells, which are colder, and in our nerve cells, because M. leprae for reasons still unknown, has a unique ability to bind to cells nerve. It takes longer for the copies to replicate under these conditions, which can take years to develop symptoms, such as revealing skin lesions, pain, or loss of sensation in the fingers, toes, or joints.
traveled to a small village in Pará, Brazil (a large state in the north-east of the country) and analyzed blood samples of 146 people living there to see if anyone was infected with M. leprae. They also questioned the villagers about their contact with armadillos and took blood samples from 16 different armadillos captured by the villagers for their food.
The team found that most armadillos were infected by M. leprae just as 65% of people who reported eating the animal more than once a month. (They gave free treatment to anyone infected.) Hunting armadias also appear to be a risk factor for disease transmission, probably because hunters are exposed to armadillo blood, Spencer says.
million. leprae bacteria, but in this part of Brazil, many like to eat the animal's liver – one of the main sites of the bacterium – believed as part of a ceviche dish. Spencer's team also found that some families caught live armadillos and kept them at home to fatten them before eating them, which would also increase the probability of transmission between them.
Spencer estimates that in some isolated rural areas of Brazil, many as 4% of people can have infections with M. leprae . This translates to about 400 cases per 10,000 people, much higher than current statistics. "We are trying to impress the Brazilian government that they need more resources to fight this problem," says Spencer.
The Brazilian government has already banned the hunting of armadillos for food, but people living in some of these countries remote areas rely on animals for protein. "It's a social and cultural thing, they've been doing it for generations, they like to eat the armadillo, and that will not change their behavior," says Spencer
. "A more effective approach would be to get closer to these people. proactively ensure that everyone is treated appropriately Hansen's disease can be cured with antibiotics and, if detected early, leaves no permanent damage. communities would give public health workers the opportunity to remind people that if they want to eat armadillo, they should cook it well
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