Hansens disease research paper
Hansen's disease, which is also known as leprosy, is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacteria mycobacterium leprae. Before the germ was discovered, the bible discussed leprosy and it was believed to be a condition brought to those who were sinful. The leprosy discussed in the bible is a completely different condition from the modern day disease of leprosy. In the bible, leprosy represented a social affliction connected to various skin conditions and mildewing fabrics. Those who had leprosy were called 'lepers' and they were sent to live outside of town and they were subjected to a life of alienation. It wasn't until 1873 when Dr. Armauer Hansen was the first person to view the germ under a microscope. His evidence was not revolutionary, but it was apparent that leprosy was caused by a germ. It could not be passed down by genes, it was not a punishment for sins committed, and it was not a curse. The oldest record found containing well described features and diagnostics of leprosy are dated back to 600 BC from ancient Indian texts. There were also descriptions of the disease found in texts from ancient Egypt. The oldest skeletal remains found to have signs of leprosy are approximately 4,000 years old. There are now global leprosy control programs that work to cure everyone who is infected with leprosy, they have been extremely successful and they have cured over 14 million people in a time period of 20 years using a multi-drug therapy. Over 250,000 cases of leprosy are recorded every year. That means that a new case is discovered at least every two minutes. Even though the rate for leprosy has been reduced by 90%, the transmission chain has yet to be broken. Countries most affected by leprosy include India, Brazil, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With Hansen's discovery, mycobacterium leprae was the first known bacterial pathogen to become associated with a human disease. This is the reason