Don’t freak out! It’s not everyday most of us come in contact with an armadillo and not many armadillos have leprosy.
In fact, not many people get infected with leprosy period! Only about 150 Americans contract the bacterial disease, that can lead to nerve damage and disfigurement, each year.
Most cases of leprosy can be traced back to being contracted from infected saliva in places like Africa and Asia, where the disease is more common. However, a new study has discovered there is a significant population that carries the disease right here in the U.S.!
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows armadillos are the only animal known to carry leprosy other than humans and their infection can spread to us!
Of the 50 patients and 33 wild armadillos analyzed in the study, 25 patients and 28 armadillos shared a genetically identical strain of leprosy bacteria, with at least 8 of the 25 patients carrying the strain reporting contact with armadillos.
Researchers say roughly 15% of the 30 to 50 million armadillos in the U.S. have leprosy and are concentrated in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama.
However, it’s nothing to freak out about, as one of the study authors commented, ├óΓé¼┼ôLeprosy is a rare disease and will remain a rare disease.├óΓé¼┬¥
For those living in rural areas in the states mentioned above, it still might be a good idea to steer clear of touching, handling, and eating armadillos in general!
[Image via AP Images.]