Latest news with #Hansen'sDisease
Japan Times
07-07-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Former Hansen's disease patients shed light on history of discrimination
At the 13 national sanatoriums for Hansen's disease patients across Japan, the average age of residents has exceeded 88, and the movement led by former patients seeking the restoration of their human rights is gradually approaching its end. Although the prejudice and discrimination against them brought on by the government's prior segregation policy persist, the memories of their hardships are now fading in society. To ensure that lessons learned from the misguided policy are passed on to future generations, former patients are speaking up about their experiences. Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy, is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It doesn't spread easily and is fully curable with appropriate treatment. However, the Japanese government maintained a forced segregation policy for nearly 90 years until the Leprosy Prevention Law was abolished in 1996. The segregation policy led to severe prejudice and discrimination against patients and those who had recovered, as well as their families. In 2001, the Kumamoto District Court ruled the policy unconstitutional and ordered the state to pay compensation. The government issued a formal apology after deciding not to appeal the ruling. At National Sanatorium Matsuoka Hoyoen in the city of Aomori, one of the state-run Hansen's disease facilities, the remains of 1,179 former patients who were never able to return home rest in a modest ossuary. 'Even after we're gone, this place must be preserved, whatever it takes,' said former patient Masaru Sato, 76, as he clasped his hands in prayer toward his fellow residents. The sanatorium was established in 1909 and has accepted over 3,000 residents to date. As of the end of February this year, there were 40 residents, with an average age of 89.6. Behind their quiet lives today lies a long history of hardship and painful struggles. Sato developed Hansen's disease just before graduating from elementary school. His mother, after reading a letter from his teacher, told him that he could not attend junior high school. 'I felt like I had been thrown into a bottomless pit,' Sato said. For about two years, he stayed at home in isolation with his father, who also had the same disease. Discrimination eventually extended to family members. One day, his sister came home crying after being told not to come to school. His father had been resisting the move to a sanatorium, but perhaps because of this incident, the father made up his mind to enter Matsuoka Hoyoen with Sato. However, the father died soon after. The local authorities refused to carry out cremation due to the disease, and the father's body had to be buried. In April 1963, then-15-year-old Sato was admitted to a youth dormitory at the sanatorium. The name 'Masaru Sato' was given to him by a senior resident; it was customary at the time to use a 'sanatorium name' to shield family members from discrimination. Eventually, residents at the sanatorium became able to go out more freely as restrictions were eased in stages. Sato felt exhilarated when experiencing the outside world. He obtained a driver's license to expand his horizon and hoped to leave the facility as quickly as possible. The abolition of the Leprosy Prevention Law, the court ruling against segregation and the government's apology — all of these seemed to lower the barriers for residents to reintegrate into society. However, Sato could never be free from anxiety. 'If society won't accept me, I'd rather stay with people who share the same pain,' he said in explaining why he chose to live the rest of his life in the sanatorium. The government pledged that those who wish to stay in sanatoriums could do so for as long as they want. However, discussions have only just begun on how to preserve these facilities and pass on their historical lessons after no residents remain. Since 2019, Sato has been the sole manager of the Matsuoka Hoyoen residents' association, which was set up to protect their human rights. Negotiations with the city of Aomori regarding the future of the sanatorium remain stalled. Sato hopes to exchange views with local residents, but interactions cut off by the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to fully resume. 'It's tough, but we must move things forward,' Sato said anxiously. 'This place must never be allowed to revert to a field.' Ryuichi Kimura talks about his pottery at his workshop built on a plot adjacent to Matsuoka Hoyoen. | Kahoku Shimpo Ryuichi Kimura, 81, another resident, has built a pottery workshop on a plot of land next to the sanatorium. Looking at his works — over 200 — displayed there, he says he doesn't want society to forget. 'I want to leave proof of how I lived with Hansen's disease,' he says. Kimura was born the eldest son of a farming family in Akita Prefecture and developed Hansen's disease as a junior high school student. He entered the sanatorium after being told that he would be discharged in six months. But by observing others, he quickly realized that it would not be easy to leave. From around 1955, restrictions at sanatoriums nationwide began to be relaxed, and some patients voluntarily left after recovery. Kimura also recovered with treatment and reintegrated into society in 1964. Thanks to the economic boom with the Tokyo Olympics held that year, he was able to make a living by working in the construction sector. However, his hands, numbed by the aftereffects of the disease, swelled painfully from the hard labor. Unable to find doctors at general hospitals who understood his symptoms or could treat them, he had to return to the sanatorium repeatedly for care. After undergoing several surgeries, he moved back to Akita Prefecture upon marriage and worked as a driver for 19 years. Although he discovered a passion for pottery and enjoyed fulfilling days with workmates and friends, thoughts of how he would spend his twilight years always lingered. 'I had no children and no place to take me in. I always knew I'd return to the sanatorium,' he says. He never disclosed his past at the sanatorium to those around him. Shortly before turning 50, Kimura returned to the facility in 1991. He continued his pottery and crafted user-friendly pieces for residents with limited hand mobility, including double-walled teacups that insulated heat and cups with attachments to hold straws. His creations — inspired by feedback from residents and staff — offer a glimpse into life in the facility. 'There are many records of the battles fought by those before us, but only a few people will ever pick them up,' Kimura said, adding that he hopes to widen public awareness through pottery that people are familiar with. 'To eliminate prejudice, we need the attention of people in our immediate neighborhoods.' The government has implemented awareness campaigns and human rights education to combat prejudice against Hansen's disease, but public understanding remains limited. A national survey conducted in December 2023 showed that only about half of respondents said they 'knew' or 'knew somewhat' about the forced segregation policy. Only 36.2% were aware that sanatoriums still exist and that former patients continue to live there. While society's interests and memories may fade, the scars left in the lives of former patients remain. 'I want to imagine that if I hadn't gotten sick, maybe I'd have inherited the family farm and been surrounded by children and grandchildren now,' Kimura murmured. 'But I just can't picture it.' This section features topics and issues from the Tohoku region covered by the Kahoku Shimpo, the largest newspaper in Tohoku. The original articles were published March 23 and March 24.
Free Malaysia Today
26-06-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Will body parts fall off? Dispelling myths about leprosy
Leprosy is an infection caused by the slow-growing bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. (Envato Elements pic) PETALING JAYA : Leprosy, also known as Leprosy, also known as Hansen's Disease , is a chronic infectious illness caused by the slow-growing bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. While often considered a disease of the past, leprosy continues to affect thousands worldwide. Early signs include reddish or pale patches on the skin, painless ulcers on the feet, muscle weakness, and numbness. Delayed diagnosis can lead to severe complications, including deformities, blindness, and chronic pain. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 200,000 new cases of leprosy are reported globally each year, with the majority in Brazil, India, and Indonesia. While Malaysia has achieved leprosy elimination at the national level (fewer than one case per 10,000 people), the fight is not over: recent trends show a concerning rise in new cases in some parts of the country. In fact, Malaysia recorded a 40% increase in leprosy cases in 2023, while cases – including one death – have been reported this year in Negeri Sembilan and Kelantan. Sadly, misunderstanding and fear still surround this illness, often leading to unnecessary discrimination and isolation of those affected. Stigma makes people hide their symptoms, delay treatment, and feel alone. This not only hurts them – it also makes it harder to stop the spread of the disease. Here are some myths and facts surrounding leprosy: Myth: Leprosy is highly contagious. Fact: Leprosy spreads through prolonged, close contact via droplets from coughing or sneezing. Once treatment begins, patients quickly become non-infectious. Leprosy is highly contagious. Leprosy spreads through prolonged, close contact via droplets from coughing or sneezing. Once treatment begins, patients quickly become non-infectious. Myth: Leprosy is a curse or punishment for sin. Fact: Leprosy is a bacterial infection that has nothing to do with curses or sin – a misconception likely influenced by mention of the disease in historical texts and holy books. As early stages of leprosy can be mistaken for other diseases, early diagnosis is crucial. (Wikipedia pic) Myth: Leprosy causes body parts to fall off. Fact: This is entirely untrue. However, if untreated, leprosy can cause nerve damage, which may lead to injuries due to loss of sensation. These injuries, in turn, could become infected and cause complications. Leprosy causes body parts to fall off. This is entirely untrue. However, if untreated, leprosy can cause nerve damage, which may lead to injuries due to loss of sensation. These injuries, in turn, could become infected and cause complications. Myth: Leprosy has no cure. Fact: Multi-drug therapy – a combination of antibiotics typically with a six- to 12-month treatment course – is highly effective in treating leprosy. Leprosy has no cure. Multi-drug therapy – a combination of antibiotics typically with a six- to 12-month treatment course – is highly effective in treating leprosy. Myth: People with leprosy should be isolated. Fact: There is no need to isolate people with leprosy as, with early diagnosis and treatment, they can live normal lives without risk to others. Hope for the future The health ministry has launched the LaKAR programme ('latihan, kesan, analisa, rawat, rujuk'), aimed at training healthcare staff, improving early detection, and raising public awareness. The government also uses single-dose rifampicin as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for close contacts of leprosy patients: a strategy proven effective in reducing transmission, especially in high-risk communities. Ultimately, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial, and a supportive, informed community can make all the difference. By dispelling myths and ending stigma, more people can be encouraged to seek help and prevent unnecessary suffering. With continued vigilance, compassion, and public cooperation, Malaysia can move closer to eliminating leprosy once and for all. For more information, visit the Malaysian Leprosy Relief Association website. This article was written by final-year medical students of Group 8A Community Posting, supervised by Prof Dr Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki from the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya.
Fox News
05-06-2025
- Health
- Fox News
New study reveals leprosy existed in the Americas before European explorers arrived
Scientists say a species of bacteria rewrites the history of when an infectious and potentially deadly disease first arrived in the Americas. And it was long before the arrival of European explorers. Researchers from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, with help from a U.S. university, recently announced in a news release that a second species of bacteria is also responsible for the disease known as leprosy, or Hansen's disease, in the Americas. In years past, many believed that the bacterium known as Mycobacterium leprae caused leprosy and that it was only spread in America by early European explorers and settlers. However, the revelation of a second bacterium puts that theory of blaming the settlers on its head, as an existing strain was already on the continents calling the New World home. The bacterium Mycobacterium lepromatosis existed and infected humans for 1,000 years prior to Europeans arriving, researchers say. Dr. Maria Lopopolo, the first author of the study and researcher at the Laboratory of Microbial Paleogenomics at the Institut Pasteur, said it changes everything about leprosy in the Americas. "This discovery transforms our understanding of the history of leprosy in America. It shows that a form of the disease was already endemic among Indigenous populations well before the Europeans arrived," she said in the release. The study — led by scientists from the Laboratory of Microbial Paleogenomics at the Institut Pasteur, alongside the French National Center for Scientific Research, and the University of Colorado in the U.S. — began after Mycobacterium lepromatosis was found in a Mexican patient in 2008, and red squirrels in the British Isles in 2016. Using advanced genetic techniques to reconstruct the genomes of Mycobacterium lepromatosis from ancient individuals from Argentina and Canada, scientists found that the two strains from the different regions were genetically close in the Mycobacterium genome family tree, meaning that the bacteria spread rapidly throughout the continent. The release stated that the results confirmed that Mycobacterium lepromatosis had already spread throughout North and South America. Researchers worked in collaboration with indigenous communities, various international institutions and archaeologists, according to the release, and were able to study over 800 DNA samples from ancient human remains and recent medical cases showing signs of leprosy. Nicolás Rascovan, the lead author of the study at the Institut Pasteur, said that the research proves that human history can be changed. "We are just beginning to uncover the diversity and global movements of this recently identified pathogen," he said. "This study allows us to hypothesize that there might be unknown animal reservoirs." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says leprosy can affect the nerves, skin and eyes of patients, and is treated with antibiotics. Up to 225 people in the U.S., and 250,000 around the world, contract Hansen's disease, according to the CDC.
Gizmodo
29-05-2025
- General
- Gizmodo
Leprosy's Origins Are Even Weirder Than We Thought
New research complicates the narrative of how leprosy reached the Americas. One of the world's oldest diseases has an even more complex history than expected. Research out today reveals that a form of leprosy was stalking people in the Americas long before Europeans arrived. A large international team of scientists conducted the study, published Thursday in Science. The researchers found DNA evidence of Mycobacterium lepromatosis—a recently discovered species of leprosy-causing bacteria—infecting people in North and South America over 1,000 years ago, predating European colonization. The findings upturn the prevailing belief that Europeans were responsible for leprosy's introduction to the New World. Leprosy's reputation for human destruction is so notorious that it's repeatedly referenced in the Bible (some of these references might have been about other conditions, though). These bacteria can cause a chronic infection of our skin and nerve cells, though it may take years for symptoms like lesions and sores to appear. If not treated with antibiotics, the infection can progressively and permanently damage these cells, leading to lifelong disabilities and other serious complications. Leprosy, also called Hansen's disease, is primarily caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. But in 2008, scientists discovered that a similar species, M. lepromatosis, can cause it, too. Leprosy from M. lepromatosis appears to be rarer than the former, with cases predominantly found in North and South America. And we know very little about it, partly because both species aren't easy to culture in the lab (much like viruses, leprosy-causing bacteria can only replicate by hijacking our cells from the inside). Study author Nicolas Rascovan, who specializes in the evolution of human diseases, and his team decided to take a closer look at the bacteria after making a discovery of their own. 'Our interest began when we unexpectedly detected M. lepromatosis DNA in the remains of an ancient individual in North America,' Rascovan, a researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, told Gizmodo. 'That prompted us to ask how long this pathogen had been circulating in the continent, how much spread there was before European contact, and what diversity it might still hold today.' The team analyzed hundreds of samples collected from modern-day people (mostly recent leprosy patients), as well as ancient DNA samples recovered from people in the Americas before European contact. Three of these ancient samples tested positive for the bacteria, the researchers found, from people living in what's now Canada and Argentina. 'Leprosy has long been considered a disease brought to the Americas by Europeans, which is true for the case of M. leprae. But our study shows that at least one of the two species that causes it—M. lepromatosis—was already here centuries earlier, and probably evolved locally for thousands of years,' Rascovan explained. 'This essentially changes how we understand the disease's history in the Americas.' Thanks to antibiotics and improved sanitation, leprosy is rare in much of the world (only about 200 cases are documented in the U.S. every year). But it remains a public health issue in some countries, with more than 200,000 cases reported annually globally. And the researchers' findings may complicate both the past and future of leprosy. While most modern cases of M. lepromatosis were linked to one specific lineage, or clade, of the bacteria that has recently expanded, the team also identified older clades that have likely been evolving independently in the Americas for over 9,000 years. That suggests these bacteria have been hiding out in still mysterious animal hosts (in the U.S. the classic form of leprosy has sometimes been linked to armadillo exposure). And though M. leprae still causes the majority of leprosy cases worldwide, its less famous cousin certainly has the potential to become a bigger threat. 'Given its diversity and spread, M. lepromatosis could be an emerging pathogen with dynamics different from M. leprae,' Rascovan said. As is often the case in science, the team's work has raised even more questions for them to answer. They're hoping to unearth the animal reservoirs where the bacteria have potentially been circulating all this time, for instance, and to trace its journey from the Americas to other parts of the world. They now believe that a strain of M. lepromatosis was brought over to the British Isles sometime in the 19th century, where it still infects red squirrels today. But we're still in the dark about how it reached Asia, where cases have been documented. 'All of this suggests that this is not just a neglected disease, but a neglected pathogen—one whose history and spread are only now beginning to be understood,' Rascovan said.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida disease-tracking chart returns: Measles, mpox, hepatitis surveillance now available
Disease-tracking information in Florida is available again, allowing residents to learn about outbreaks in their county once more. Florida Department of Health surveillance data, which previously made public the number of current cases of each vaccine-preventable disease by county, had been removed from the state website for several months. The removal, disclosed earlier this month by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, came shortly after a measles case was reported in Miami in March. Measles is among the most contagious diseases in the world, and case counts in the United States are spiking with more than 1,000 reported in 2025. Florida's chart, which contains current trends for communicable diseases, has long been relied upon by epidemiologists and medical professionals for tracking purposes. It includes up-to-date information on outbreaks in Florida, such as measles, mpox and Hepatitis A. Department of Health spokeswoman Isabel Kilman did not respond to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's multiple requests for an explanation of why the chart had been removed, but she told the Tallahassee Democrat that the website was undergoing an upgrade. It doesn't appear that any functions of the chart have changed. Here are some key tracking points the chart now reveals about vaccine preventable diseases: A child in Broward County less than 4 years old contracted measles in April, marking the second case in South Florida in two months. The child acquired the disease outside of the U.S. Broward leads the state in new cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). Thirteen cases of mpox have been reported in Florida so far this year, three in Broward County. In 2022, Florida was part of a nationwide outbreak of monkeypox. 14 cases of leprosy (Hansen's Disease) have been reported in Florida in 2025. In August 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned travelers that leprosy cases in Florida were surging. At the time, Florida was among the top reporting states with nearly 30 cases. The BCG vaccine, while primarily for TB, can offer some protection against leprosy, particularly if someone in the household has leprosy. The state has been grappling with a massive rise in pertussis (whooping cough). There have been 614 cases reported in Florida since January. To date in 2025, the CDC has reported over 8,000 cases of whooping cough, a more than two-fold increase from the same time last year. The CDC recommends whooping cough vaccines for people of all ages. Already in 2025, 63 cases of Hepatitis A have been reported in the state. Florida has grappled with a spread of Hepatitis A for several years, predating the pandemic. In 2019, Florida experienced a statewide outbreak with more than 2,000 cases reported. Dr. Aileen Marty, a professor at Florida International University and an expert in infectious disease and disaster medicine, said surveillance plays a vital role in public health. 'It's important for clinicians and families to know when something is spreading for which we have a prevention,' said Marty, with Florida International University's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. 'Having good and timely information makes a huge difference in diagnosing a case earlier and helping parents make decisions or take action.' Tracking disease spread has become more critical as vaccination rates have dropped. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, only 88.1% of kindergartners in Florida were vaccinated against measles in the 2023-2024 school year. Herd immunity for measles requires a 95% vaccination rate. Florida's rate is one of the lowest in the nation. Florida's pediatricians say that real-time surveillance helps them guide parents in making informed decisions about vaccination. 'We end up playing catch-up after a child contracts a vaccine-preventable illness, and then we start looking at who else is vulnerable and start offering vaccines,' said Jennifer Takagishi, professor of pediatrics and division chief of General Academic Pediatrics at the University of South Florida. Florida's surveillance chart tracks close to 100 diseases, indicating the age range, county, diagnosis status and whether the person acquired the disease inside Florida, inside the U.S. or outside the U.S. Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@
