And (of course) the latest comes from Florida, where spitting armadillos are being blamed for an outbreak of leprosy that has so far affected nine individuals.
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The state of Florida has experienced an upsurge in the number of people who have contracted the skin disease leprosy from armadillos, but Texas officials say there is no indication of an upsurge in leprosy cases here, News Radio 1200 WOAI’s Megan Bishop reports.
Wildlife trappers explain that the majority of their work involves armadillos, who have become common all across Florida.
On its website, the CDC said some armadillos in the southern part of the US are “naturally infected with Hansen’s disease”.
Two weeks ago, the 11th case was reported in Lakeland in Polk County, while the most recent case has been reported in the past week in Jacksonville in Duval County.
For those infected, peripheral nerve damage affecting all members and organs in the body.
But now, nine cases have already been registered in the state of Florida, reaching previous years’ limits.
Of the human population, 95 per cent is not susceptible to the disease. Typically the first signs are skin lesions, and symptoms can progress to neurological problems such as psychosis and seizures. “For many cases, the exposure causing the infection is unknown because it can take months or years for illness to develop”.
“There is a clear reason why this is happening in Florida”. New homes are being [built], and we are tearing down the armadillos’ [habitat] in the process. Nine people have been attacked by the disease after they came into contact with the creature.
It simply means that these creatures have been ejected from their homes, and are now looking for another place to live.
“Armadillos like forested or semi-open habitats with loose textured soil that allows them to dig easily”, says the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, describing their habitat.
With exposure sources hard to track, the health department “advises that people avoid interacting with any wild animals, including armadillos”.
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“Especially if they’re trying to get out of a cage they can spit on you”, Waltz said.
