Pandemics That Changed History: Leprosy

1. A pandemic is a disease that is prevalent over a whole country or all over the world. An epidemic is a widespread of an infectious disease in a community at a certain time. 

 2. The disease I chose was leprosy. Leprosy is a slow developing bacterial disease that causes sores and deformities. It was believed to be a punishment from God that rain in families. 

 3. The earliest reference to leprosy was in India in about 600 B.C. 

 4. Some symptoms of leprosy are lighter skin than usual; patches of skin that feel pain and heat; muscle weakness; numbness in the hands, feet, legs and arms and eye problems. It spreads through nasal secretions. 

 5. Europe was hit the hardest my the pandemic. 

 6. The mortality rate of leprosy is 2.5 deaths/1,000 population. 

 The below map shows the different recent cases of leprosy in the world. 

 File:Leprosy new case detection 2016 rates, 2016 (cropped).png

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