Increasing incidence of leprosy and transmission from armadillos in Central Florida: A case series

Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, is caused by the acid-fast bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy is transmitted by human-to-human contact, although zoonotic transmission has been described, and contact with the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is a risk factor for development of leprosy.1, 2, 3, 4 Cases 1 and 2 in this case series show zoonotic transmission from armadillos. An additional source of M leprae infection may be soil or land contaminated by leprosy-infected armadillos.3, 5, 6 Cases 3 and 4 support this potential mode of transmission. Florida recently experienced an increased incidence of leprosy, including 72 confirmed cases since 2010. We report 4 patients seen over 2 years in Central Florida, an area in which leprosy is not endemic.