Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy)
Leprosy was renamed Hansen’s disease after Norwegian scientist Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen, who in 1873 discovered the slow-growing bacterium now known as Mycobacterium leprae as the cause of the illness. It is difficult to catch, and it can take many years to develop symptoms of the disease following an infection. However, people who catch the disease can be cured with antibiotics.
Challenges of Hansen’s Disease
Hansen’s disease mainly affects people in resource-poor countries who live in crowded conditions and have difficulty accessing health care due to long distances to clinics familiar with Hansen’s disease, and high cost of going to the doctor. In addition, due the continued stigma against people with Hansen’s disease, they may not seek help when first symptoms appear, causing delay in diagnosis and development of disabilities.
Many people living with Hansen’s disease are unable to work due to disability caused by the disease or may face stigma that prevents them from working.
The good news is that Hansen’s disease is curable. Education and improving access to basic health services for all are keys to successful elimination of stigma and disability associated with the illness.
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms mainly affect the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes (the soft, moist areas just inside the body’s openings).
The disease can cause skin symptoms such as:
- A large, discoloured lesion on the chest of a person with Hansen’s disease.
- Discoloured patches of skin, usually flat, that may be numb and look faded (lighter than the skin around)
- Growths (nodules) on the skin
- Thick, stiff, or dry skin
- Painless ulcers on the soles of feet
- Painless swelling or lumps on the face or earlobes
- Loss of eyebrows or eyelashes
Symptoms caused by damage to the nerves are:
- Numbness of affected areas of the skin
- Muscle weakness or paralysis (especially in the hands and feet)
- Enlarged nerves (especially those around the elbow and knee and in the sides of the neck)
- Eye problems that may lead to blindness (when facial nerves are affected)
Symptoms caused by the disease in the mucous membranes are:
• A stuffy nose
• Nosebleeds
Hansen’s Disease Myths Busters
There are some common misconceptions about Hansen’s disease that continue to cause confusion and fuel stigma and discrimination. Here are eight common myths and facts about the disease:
Together, we can put a stop to discrimination and stigma against people with Hansen’s disease. Educate yourself and your friends and family and separate the facts from the myths about Hansen’s disease.
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