Cases of leprosy are increasing in Central Florida, fueling a growing body of evidence that the condition has become endemic in the Southeastern U.S., according to the CDC.
Although leprosy has been historically uncommon in the U.S., the number of cases has more than doubled in the Southeast over the last decade. The U.S. saw 159 new cases of leprosy, or Hansen's disease, in 2020. Central Florida accounted for 81 percent of cases reported in the state and one-fifth of cases confirmed nationwide.
The condition previously affected people who immigrated from leprosy-pandemic areas, but about 34 percent of new cases between 2015 and 2020 appear to be locally acquired, according to the CDC.
"Our case adds to the growing body of literature suggesting that central Florida represents an endemic location for leprosy," the CDC said in a recent research letter. "By increasing local physician efforts to report incidence and supporting further research to assess routes of transmission, a congruent effort can be made to identify and reduce spread of the disease."
View the full research letter here.