Leprosy risk factors
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Close contacts of patients with untreated, active multibacillary disease are at highest risk of acquiring leprosy. Children are more susceptible than adults to contracting the disease.
Risk Factors
- At highest risk are those living in endemic areas with poor conditions such as inadequate bedding, contaminated water and insufficient diet, or other diseases (such as HIV) that compromise immune function. Recent research suggests that there is a defect in cell-mediated immunity that causes susceptibility to the disease. Less than ten percent of the world's population are actually capable of acquiring the disease. The region of DNA responsible for this variability is also involved in Parkinson's disease, giving rise to current speculation that the two disorders may be linked in some way at the biochemical level.
- In addition, men are twice as likely to contract leprosy as women.
- Close contacts with patients with untreated, active, predominantly multibacillary disease.