Which age group is most affected by leprosy?

Which age group is most affected by leprosy?

Among patients under 15 years of age, the most affected age group is children between 10 and 14 years of age, although cases of patients of younger than 1 year of age have also been reported.

Can kids catch leprosy?

Children are more likely to get leprosy than adults. Today, about 208,000 people worldwide are infected with leprosy, according to the World Health Organization, most of them in Africa and Asia.

Who can catch leprosy?

Leprosy, also called Hansen’s disease, is a contagious disease. One way it spreads is from person to person. Even so, it’s actually hard to catch. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 95% of humans are immune to the bacteria that cause this disease1.

Who is highest risk of contracting leprosy?

Leprosy can occur at any age, but, in developing countries, the age-specific incidence of leprosy peaks in children younger than 10 years, who account for 20% of leprosy cases.

How does leprosy affect the body?

It can affect the skin and the nerves of the hands and feet as well as the eyes and the lining of the nose. In some cases, leprosy can also affect other organs, such as the kidneys and testicles in men. If left untreated, leprosy can cause deformities of the hands and feet, blindness, and kidney failure.

What is the main cause of leprosy?

Hansen’s disease (also known as leprosy) is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. It can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose (nasal mucosa). With early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can be cured.

Does leprosy affect the brain?

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It affects the peripheral nerves and the skin. It does not affect the spinal cord or the brain. Leprosy has a long incubation period, on average 5-7 years, and is the most complex and the chronic of all human bacterial diseases.

How old do you have to be to get leprosy?

Leprosy can occur at any age, but, in developing countries, the age-specific incidence of leprosy peaks in children younger than 10 years, who account for 20% of leprosy cases.

How many children have leprosy in the world?

As regards children of under 15 years of age, 2,287 new cases of leprosy have been reported, representing 6.7% of the total number of cases reported throughout the country, with a detection coefficient of 4.89 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, reflecting an average endemicity index.8

Are there any people who are immune to leprosy?

Most people have a natural immunity to the disease and will not contract it even if they are exposed to it. Only about 5 percent of all people are susceptible to the disease. More than one-half of new cases give no history of any known contact with a leprosy patient.

Where does leprosy affect more males than females?

Sex distribution. Although leprosy affects both sexes, in most parts of the world males are affected more frequently than females often in the ratio of 2:1. This preponderance of males is observed in as diverse geographic situations as India, the Philippines, Hawaii, Venezuela and Cameroon. Doull et al…