Leprosy cases on the rise in Florida. Should travellers be concerned? – GLOBAL

August 1, 2023

Amidst a concerning rise in leprosy cases across Florida, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning saying the disease may be on the path to becoming endemic in the region.

Travellers heading to the southeastern region of the United States, specifically central Florida, should be mindful of the potential risk of transmission, the CDC stated.

“Florida, USA, has witnessed an increased incidence of leprosy cases lacking traditional risk factors,” the CDC said in a report published on Monday. “Those trends, in addition to decreasing diagnoses in foreign-born persons, contribute to rising evidence that leprosy has become endemic in the southeastern United States.

“Travel to Florida should be considered when conducting leprosy contact tracing in any state.”

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/9869675/leprosy-cases-florida-endemic/