To highlight the increase in the incidence of Leprosy in the United States and emphasize the importance of identifying this rare, curable disease.
Leprosy is a chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae or lepromatosis, which targets peripheral nerves, particularly the Schwann cells, causing demyelination and loss of axonal conductance. It is transmitted through droplets from infected persons or armadillos, known carriers of M.leprae.
Literature review and Data from the World Health Organization are reviewed to extract the number of new leprosy cases reported from 2008 to 2023 in the US and globally. The mean number of new reported cases in the past 15 years (2008-2022) was calculated and compared to the number of new reported cases in 2023.
The total number of new leprosy cases reported in the US in 2023 was 369, marking a 113% increase compared to the calculated mean number of new leprosy cases reported in the US in the past 15 years (2008-2022), which was 173. Globally, the reported new leprosy cases for the year 2023 were 182,815, representing a 22% decrease compared to the calculated mean number of new leprosy cases reported worldwide in the past 15 years (2008-2022), which was 207,105. About 60% of total reported cases in the US are reported from the following states - Florida, Texas, New York, California, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Hawaii, and a third of total reported cases in the US are in patients who have not traveled to endemic areas or been in contact with another person with leprosy.
Since peripheral nerve involvement is a pathognomonic feature, we might encounter patients with Leprosy in our practice, and it is crucial to diagnose and treat it. Patients can present with sensory, motor, or autonomic nervous system involvement with or without thickened, palpable peripheral nerves and skin lesions.