For centuries, leprosy has been a scarecrow for all continents. She was feared along with the plague. In the Middle Ages, a sick person was considered dead, the first signs of leprosy barely showed; in the church, a memorial service was served for him and even buried in a cemetery (though not for good - after performing the rite, they dug it out and took it to the leper colony).
About the disease itself
Those who go on vacation or travel to exotic countries should know leprosy - what kind of disease. This boundary obligation is explained by the fact that such a disease is originally characteristic of the tropics. Even in the Middle Ages, it was imported into Europe by traders, travelers and knights who performed spiritual feats. In the modern world, the greatest danger of catching leprosy is Brazil (oddly enough, because it is not the seediest place on Earth). The second by leprosy is India, which is not too surprising; nevertheless, this country still suffers from unsanitary conditions and poor medical equipment. At the same time, it is worth considering that leprosy is not such a rare disease . That a large number of people know that this is leprosy, but very few people know how it manifests itself, how it is transmitted and what threatens it.
Pathogens and carriers
The insidiousness of leprosy is that it is always very difficult to establish how exactly a person became infected. It has long been known that the causative agent of leprosy is a bacterium that is named after the names of the "discoverers," that is, the scientists Nysser and Hansen. It is known exactly how leprosy is transmitted. That this is possible only from a sick person to a healthy one is definitely established. Moreover, it is more likely with tactile contact, although an airborne option is also possible. Although different sources contradict each other. It is believed that infection through respiration is the main way in which leprosy penetrates the body. It is difficult to find out whether this is a delusion or an established fact, although in the middle, “dense” centuries they were afraid of the touch of an infected person. Cases of transmission of the disease from an infected mother to a child have been recorded; but if intrauterine infection did not occur, then the children eliminated from sick parents do not get leprosy.
Manifestations of leprosy
One of the most vile features of leprosy is a very long incubation period. The standard term is up to 5 years. But there are cases when, from the moment of infection with leprosy to the first signs of its presence in the body, 10, 15, and 20 years passed. The first “swallows” of leprosy are similar to many other diseases: drowsiness, general weakness, lethargy, sometimes numbness of fingers and toes, slurred tubercles on the skin, which are usually perceived by doctors as ordinary adipose tissue. She is insidious, leprosy. According to such dubious signs, not a single doctor will guess that this is leprosy, and not some kind of “passing” ailments, unless it specializes in tropical diseases and knows that you once visited a risk zone.
Consequences of leprosy
Even from classical, though mostly adventure pieces, it is known that leprosy (leprosy) leads to a loss of sensitivity and disfigurement of a person. Another manifestation of leprosy is the falling away of some part of the body. In medicine, this phenomenon is called mutation. The face, arms and legs become completely chimerical due to tumors; any wound immediately begins to rot.
Logical conclusions
The main thing to remember: leprosy is theoretically not fatal. But! It leads to the defeat of vital organs, the failure of which in any case will entail death. In addition, leprosy is fraught not only with ugliness, but also blindness, disability and prolonged stay in the leper colony, after which a person is unlikely to manage without a tight course of social adaptation. So, going on a trip to Burma, Brazil or India, take an interest in the leprosy atmosphere in those areas that you intend to visit.