Leprosy, M. leprae, is a gravid word and disease, strangely so because it is quite difficult to get. It does, however, make a great metaphor for spiritual rot.
The disease takes its name from the Latin word lepra, which means "scaly." Its other term, "Hansen's disease," is named after the physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen.
Leprosy is related to tuberculosis and is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external sign. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. Contrary to folklore, leprosy does not cause body parts to fall off. The neurologic injury causes sensory loss and the tissue as a result is more vulnerable to physical injury and secondary infections which cause the tissue loss.
Around 95% of people are believed to be naturally immune; in 2012, the number of chronic cases of leprosy was 189,000 and the number of new cases was 230,000.The number of chronic cases has decreased from some 5.2 million in the 1980s
M. leprae is probably spread from person to person in nasal droplets. Leprosy can be transmitted to humans by armadillos, an amazing little fact that must have resulted from a more amazing questioning process.
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem was a Christian king of Latin Jerusalem, afflicted with leprosy. Baldwin, and the effects of his disease, were portrayed in the film Kingdom of Heaven.
Leprosy is related to tuberculosis and is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external sign. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. Contrary to folklore, leprosy does not cause body parts to fall off. The neurologic injury causes sensory loss and the tissue as a result is more vulnerable to physical injury and secondary infections which cause the tissue loss.
Around 95% of people are believed to be naturally immune; in 2012, the number of chronic cases of leprosy was 189,000 and the number of new cases was 230,000.The number of chronic cases has decreased from some 5.2 million in the 1980s
M. leprae is probably spread from person to person in nasal droplets. Leprosy can be transmitted to humans by armadillos, an amazing little fact that must have resulted from a more amazing questioning process.
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem was a Christian king of Latin Jerusalem, afflicted with leprosy. Baldwin, and the effects of his disease, were portrayed in the film Kingdom of Heaven.
No comments:
Post a Comment