Leprosy :: essays research papers

LeprosyLeprosy or Hansens ailment, is a chronic, infectious unhealthiness thatmainly affects the jumble, mucous membranes, and nerves. A rod shaped bacillusnamed Mycobacterium leprea, causes the virus. Mycobacterium leprea is very a kindred(p) to the bacillus that causes tuberculosis. The reason Leprosy is alsoknown as Hansens disease, is because it was starting signal identified in 1874 by aNorwegian physician named Gerhard Henrik Armeur Hansen.Leprosy appears in both the Old and New Testaments. In the bible Leprosywas not the disease that is recognized now, but as various physical conditionsthat were nothing like the disease. A punishment from God was what theseconditions were considered to be. The victim was said to be in a state ofdefilement. This Hebrew term was translated as lepros, which the word leprosycame from.The diseases probable origin was the Indus Valley that is located inIndia. Leprosy spreadhead from there to the Mediterranean region and North Africa,then all o f europium was affected. This disease is much less common now, as theworld study count has dropped below 1 million. During 1995 about 530 000 newcases of leprosy were discovered. It is obvious that ternary world countries haveway more cases as India, Indonesia, and Myanmar account for nigh 70% of thecases reported in the world. 5500 know cases of Leprosy still exist in the US,and about 200 cases a reported annually.Tests to produce leprosy in data-based animals, have not beensuccessful as of yet. Though the organism fundament be grown in Armadillos, severallaboratories have been reported cultivating leprosy in the test tube.Loss of sensation in a patch of skin is often the first symptom thatLeprosy displays. In the lepromatous form, large beas of the skin may becomeinfiltrated. The mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and throat may be invadedby large numbers of the organism. Because of damage to the nerves, muscles maybecome paralyzed. The harm of sensation that accompanies the destruction ofnerves may result in unmarked injuries. These may result in secondaryinfections, the replacement of healthy create from raw material with scar tissue, and thedestruction of arise. The classic disfigurements of Leprosy, such as loss ofextremities from bone damage or the so-called leoline facies, a lionlikeappearance with thick nodulous skin, are signs of advanced disease, now