Leprosy is a chronic, infectious disease involving the skin, nerves and the lining of the upper respiratory tract.
Leprosy (also known as Hansen's Disease, Hanseniasis or HD) is an chronic bacterial infection that attacks the nervous system, especially those of the hands, feet and face. It can also affect the throat and testicles. Leprosy is caused by the slow-growing bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded diseases.
In Australia today it affects about one in a million people but is still prevalent in poorer parts of the world such as Africa, Asia, Central and South America, some Pacific countries and in some parts of the US. With the introduction of antibiotics in the early 1980s the disease is now curable within a few months of treatment.
Leprosy is not very contagious – most people exposed to the bacterium won't get the disease. It's thought to be spread by respiratory droplets and usually takes five to 10 to incubate and develop.