FAQs on Leprosy
No. Have you ever seen everyone, around you,suffering from any of the disease? Are all sneezing & having running nose? Are all suffering from diarrhea and dehydration? Similar is the case of leprosy that everyone doesn’t suffer from leprosy. It indicates that our body responds to different infections differently. This is individuals ‘ capacity to resist a disease or infection, which is also known as immunity or resistance of the body.
Body resistance /immunity is the ability of the body to fight back the germ and prevent causation of disease. There are cells in our blood specially created for the purpose of fighting the infection. These cells have the capacity and power to recognize, engulf, digest and destroy harmful germs. Because of these cells and the capacities they have,our body is resistant to most of the harmful germs and bacteria, including the germs of leprosy.
When a germ enters our body, it tries to locate itself in a preferred location to nourish,enjoy and multiply itself.If the multiplication and nourishment is not controlled it causes disease. On the other hand,our body resists the spread of germ and aborts the further growth, multiplication and development of disease. If the body is not able to fight the infection the disease develops.
This is the capacity of individual body and their cells to identify and recognize a particular type of harmful bacteria. Different cells of different human beings have high or low capacity to fight a particular disease. E.g. if a capacity to fight common cold is high in a particular person, he’ll not suffer from common cold. On the other hand there are certain individuals, who have low capacity to fight common cold and suffer from common cold easily.
This depends on the individual capacity of a person to fight leprosy organisms. Through research it has been found that 95 – 99% of our population is resistant or can fight the leprosy micro organisms if they enter in their body meaning thereby that 1-5% of the whole population is prone to develop the disease.
Yes, because the disease is mildly infectious. However, it is mandatory that the person affected should take the MDT regularly.
Yes, a person affected by leprosy is not a threat to the fellow citizens/colleagues if”(s) he is ta king or has completed the treatment.
Leprosy is not hereditary; susceptibility depends on Body resistance/immunity.
Yes, it is better to treat him/her at home.
There are many centers in India, where besides vocational training’s, economic rehabilitation is also provided.
Yes, there are provisions, wherein the facilities are provided through Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Yes, the deformities can be corrected, by reconstructive surgery (after completion of treatment).