For most people a disease like leprosy seems like it’s a sickness from a different era, like the bubonic plague.

While cases are normally few and far between in the United States, they are currently surging in Florida.

According to a new report from the CDC, leprosy is now considered endemic in Florida – which means the two are associated, the way malaria is in certain regions of the world.

“Several cases in central Florida demonstrate no clear evidence of zoonotic exposure or traditionally known risk factors. Leprosy has become an endemic disease process in Florida.”

Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae and causes foot ulcers, dull patches of skin, and other swellings and growths. It can also result in nose bleeds and nerve issues, and can progress very slowly.

Untreated, the nerve damage can become extensive and infected, growing ulcers and even blindness can result.

In 2020, 159 cases were reported in the States, but that number is steadily climbing. The CDC says it’s actually doubled in southeastern America, and call Central Florida a “flashpoint.”

81% of cuses in Florida and 1/5 of all cases in the country originate in the area.

If you’re wondering how most people catch leprosy these days, it’s largely exposure to armadillos or to travelers who arrive in the country carrying the disease.

People in the way back believed leprosy was super contagious but that’s not actually true. You’d have to be exposed to an infected person over many months – and you’d have to be one of the 5% of the population without a natural immunity to the bacteria.

At least one case detailed in the CDC report is about a 54-year-old man who worked in landscaping. He had not been in contact with any infected people (or armadillos), yet leprosy was his diagnosis.