Leprosy

Leprosy, leprosy, morphea, Hansen's disease or poorly Lazarus is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae (also known as bacillus-of-hansen) that affects the skin and nerves and causing severe damage. The name is due to leprosy discoverer of the organism causing the disease Gerhard Hansen. Leprosy The term was introduced in Brazil by Professor of the Federal University of São Paulo, Abraham Rotberg. It's called "the world's oldest disease", affecting mankind for at least 4000 years and being the first known written records found in Egypt, dating back to 1350 BC It is endemic (unique to a region) in some tropical countries, in particularly in Asia. Brazil is included among the countries with medium endemicity of leprosy in the world. This means prevalence has a coefficient average of more than one event per thousand (given outdated) (MS, 1989). Patients are called lepers, although this term tends to disappear with the decrease in the number of cases and given the pejorative connotation associated with it. [Citation needed]
Leprosy is a contagious disease that is a sick person who is not in treatment to another. Delay of 2 to 5 years, often for the first symptoms appear. The leprosy patient has signs and neurological and dermatological symptoms that facilitate the diagnosis. Can affect children, adults and seniors of all social classes, provided they have an intense and prolonged contact with bacillus. It can cause disability or deformity, when left untreated or treated late, but curable. Treatment is usually provided by public health systems (such as the Brazilian Unified Health System).
Treatment
Today, leprosy is treated with antibiotics and public health efforts are made for early diagnosis and treatment of patients, and prosthetic patients who had healed and to prevent deformation and mainly aimed at preventing the spread. Treatment is mainly outpatient.
Although not deadly, leprosy can cause severe disability and / or permanent if not treated in time. The treatment involves various antibiotics in order to avoid selecting resistant bacteria germ. The WHO has recommended since 1981 a multidrug therapy (MDT) comprised of three drugs: dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine. This association destroys the pathogen and cures the patient. The treatment time ranges between 6 and 24 months depending on the severity of disease.
When lesions are already established, treatment is based, beyond polychemotherapy in prostheses, orthopedic interventions in special shoes, etc.. Moreover, a major contribution to the prevention and treatment of disabilities caused by leprosy is physiotherapy.
Also in Brazil, the NGO's MORHAN doing work against prejudice and helping people with the disease.
Prevention
Prevention is through the application of the BCG vaccine, the same used for tuberculosis. Remember that BCG is not fully effective and serves only as a preventive treatment. Doctors also advise that people who live in daily contact with patients of the disease do examinations annually for at least 5 years after the last contact with the infected person, this is especially true for children.
Furthermore an important weapon to prevent the disease is to know the symptoms and how to diagnose the disease. The sooner we know the disease sooner treatment begins and the chances of sequels diminish greatly.