Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's Disease is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy can be treated effectively with several drugs, but if left untreated, the disease can result in severe disfigurement, especially of the feet, hands, and face. It is rarely fatal. Leprosy has long been one of the most feared diseases worldwide. The stigma attached to leprosy has often caused those who contracted the disease to be shunned by family, friends, and society. Leprosy has two main forms, known as tuberculoid and lepromatous disease. In tuberculoid leprosy, the skin lesions are few and small, with only a few bacteria present in each. In lepromatous leprosy, the more severe form of the disease, the lesions may be much more widespread and contain many leprosy bacteria. As lepromatous leprosy progresses, hard nodules and folds of skin may form on the face and the nose may collapse, giving a person a characteristic lionlike appearance. The symptoms of leprosy may be