{"id":188617,"date":"2022-07-18T11:14:14","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T11:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/"},"modified":"2022-07-18T11:14:14","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T11:14:14","slug":"what-animals-carry-leprosy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/","title":{"rendered":"What animals carry leprosy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#What_animals_carry_leprosy\" title=\"What animals carry leprosy?\">What animals carry leprosy?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Do_possums_transmit_diseases_to_humans\" title=\"Do possums transmit diseases to humans?\">Do possums transmit diseases to humans?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#What_kind_of_diseases_do_possums_carry\" title=\"What kind of diseases do possums carry?\">What kind of diseases do possums carry?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#What_animals_spread_leprosy\" title=\"What animals spread leprosy?\">What animals spread leprosy?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Can_you_get_leprosy_by_touching_an_armadillo\" title=\"Can you get leprosy by touching an armadillo?\">Can you get leprosy by touching an armadillo?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Do_possums_carry_leprosy\" title=\"Do possums carry leprosy?\">Do possums carry leprosy?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#How_did_humans_get_leprosy\" title=\"How did humans get leprosy?\">How did humans get leprosy?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Can_a_human_get_sick_from_a_possum\" title=\"Can a human get sick from a possum?\">Can a human get sick from a possum?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Are_possums_harmful\" title=\"Are possums harmful?\">Are possums harmful?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Can_possum_poop_make_you_sick\" title=\"Can possum poop make you sick?\">Can possum poop make you sick?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Can_possums_give_diseases_to_humans\" title=\"Can possums give diseases to humans?\">Can possums give diseases to humans?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Can_you_get_a_disease_from_touching_a_possum\" title=\"Can you get a disease from touching a possum?\">Can you get a disease from touching a possum?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Is_it_dangerous_to_pick_up_a_possum\" title=\"Is it dangerous to pick up a possum?\">Is it dangerous to pick up a possum?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Do_possums_carry_diseases_on_their_fur\" title=\"Do possums carry diseases on their fur?\">Do possums carry diseases on their fur?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#What_animals_carries_leprosy\" title=\"What animals carries leprosy?\">What animals carries leprosy?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#How_did_armadillos_get_leprosy\" title=\"How did armadillos get leprosy?\">How did armadillos get leprosy?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Can_dogs_spread_leprosy_to_humans\" title=\"Can dogs spread leprosy to humans?\">Can dogs spread leprosy to humans?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Can_you_get_leprosy_through_touch\" title=\"Can you get leprosy through touch?\">Can you get leprosy through touch?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#What_can_you_get_if_you_touch_an_armadillo\" title=\"What can you get if you touch an armadillo?\">What can you get if you touch an armadillo?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Does_armadillo_carry_disease\" title=\"Does armadillo carry disease?\">Does armadillo carry disease?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#Do_pet_armadillos_carry_leprosy\" title=\"Do pet armadillos carry leprosy?\">Do pet armadillos carry leprosy?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#What_can_possums_carry_if_they_bite_you\" title=\"What can possums carry if they bite you?\">What can possums carry if they bite you?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#How_did_leprosy_start\" title=\"How did leprosy start?\">How did leprosy start?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#How_did_lepers_get_leprosy\" title=\"How did lepers get leprosy?\">How did lepers get leprosy?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-animals-carry-leprosy\/#What_animal_did_leprosy_come_from\" title=\"What animal did leprosy come from?\">What animal did leprosy come from?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_animals_carry_leprosy\"><\/span>What animals carry leprosy?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Armadillos are known to carry leprosy  in fact, they are the only wild animals other than humans upon which the picky M. leprae can stand to live  and scientists suspected that these anomalous cases were due to contact with the little armored tootsie rolls.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_possums_transmit_diseases_to_humans\"><\/span>Do possums transmit diseases to humans?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Opossums become dangerous with their ability to transmit diseases to pets and people. Known to carry leptospirosis, tuberculosis, coccidiosis, spotted fever, tularemia, and other diseases, the pesky creatures pose serious health threats when they invade urban environments.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_kind_of_diseases_do_possums_carry\"><\/span>What kind of diseases do possums carry?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Opossums carry diseases such as <b>leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease. They may also be infested with fleas, ticks, mites, and lice. Opossums are hosts for cat and dog fleas, especially in urban environments.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_animals_spread_leprosy\"><\/span>What animals spread leprosy?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Armadillos are the only other animals besides humans to host the leprosy bacillus. In 2011, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article formally linking the creature to human leprosy casespeople and armadillos tested in the study both shared the same exact strain of the disease.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_get_leprosy_by_touching_an_armadillo\"><\/span>Can you get leprosy by touching an armadillo?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the southern United States, some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacteria that cause Hansen&#8217;s disease in people and it may be possible that they can spread it to people. However, the risk is very low and <b>most people who come into contact with armadillos are unlikely to get Hansen&#8217;s disease<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_possums_carry_leprosy\"><\/span>Do possums carry leprosy?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The incubation period for the bacteria is at least two years, and possibly five or six, before it is expressed. Being long-lived is a requirement for acquiring leprosy. For example, even if possums were susceptible, their normal life span is only about two years; therefore, <b>they would not have time to get leprosy<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_did_humans_get_leprosy\"><\/span>How did humans get leprosy?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Scientists have learned that to catch leprosy, a healthy person must have months of close contact with someone who has leprosy. It&#8217;s believed that the disease spreads <b>when a person who has leprosy coughs or sneezes<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_human_get_sick_from_a_possum\"><\/span>Can a human get sick from a possum?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Opossums carry diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease. They may also be infested with fleas, ticks, mites, and lice. Opossums are hosts for cat and dog fleas, especially in urban environments.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_possums_harmful\"><\/span>Are possums harmful?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Opossum are not aggressive: their open-mouth, defensive hissing is merely a bluff to look vicious. And if that doesn&#8217;t work they play dead when really scared! If there is an opossum in the backyard, don&#8217;t worry. <b>They aren&#8217;t a threat, and more than likely they will be moving on in a short while.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_possum_poop_make_you_sick\"><\/span>Can possum poop make you sick?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For this reason, it might be hard to identify possum feces if you have other pets in your home. This poses a health risk for your, because <b>possum feces is very harmful to people, as it carries numerous bacteria and infectious disease. It very dangerous to come in contact with, including touching or inhaling.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_possums_give_diseases_to_humans\"><\/span>Can possums give diseases to humans?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Opossums become dangerous with their ability to transmit diseases to pets and people. Known to carry leptospirosis, tuberculosis, coccidiosis, spotted fever, tularemia, and other diseases, the pesky creatures pose serious health threats when they invade urban environments.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_get_a_disease_from_touching_a_possum\"><\/span>Can you get a disease from touching a possum?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Though it&#8217;s unlikely for them to transmit rabies, <b>opossums can sometimes carry harmful germs and pathogens that cause diseases such as leptospirosis. Transmitted through contaminated urine or other bodily fluids from an infected animal, this bacterial disease can impact humans and wildlife.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_dangerous_to_pick_up_a_possum\"><\/span>Is it dangerous to pick up a possum?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If the opossum is very small (still thermoregulating) you can pick it up by the tail or body, always taking care to make your final approach from the rear. <b>Going right over their head is threatening and will usually gain a harmless snap up at you at that age<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_possums_carry_diseases_on_their_fur\"><\/span>Do possums carry diseases on their fur?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Opossums look a little bit like huge rats, so they&#8217;ve been mistakenly associated with disease. But, with very few exceptions, <b>opossums can&#8217;t and don&#8217;t carry the same viruses that infect humans and pets<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_animals_carries_leprosy\"><\/span>What animals carries leprosy?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Armadillos are known to carry leprosy  in fact, they are the only wild animals other than humans upon which the picky M. leprae can stand to live  and scientists suspected that these anomalous cases were due to contact with the little armored tootsie rolls.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_did_armadillos_get_leprosy\"><\/span>How did armadillos get leprosy?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Scientists have learned that to catch leprosy, a healthy person must have months of close contact with someone who has leprosy. It&#8217;s believed that the disease spreads <b>when a person who has leprosy coughs or sneezes<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_dogs_spread_leprosy_to_humans\"><\/span>Can dogs spread leprosy to humans?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Exactly how the armadillos became infected by humans is not clear, but one theory is that <b>they picked it up from contaminated soil by digging. Surveys of armadillos in the Gulf states found that up to 20 percent were infected with M. leprae.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_get_leprosy_through_touch\"><\/span>Can you get leprosy through touch?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Leprosy is not very contagious. <b>You can&#8217;t catch it by touching someone who has the disease. Most cases of leprosy are from repeated and long-term contact with someone who has the disease. Doctors believe that leprosy might be passed from person to person.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_can_you_get_if_you_touch_an_armadillo\"><\/span>What can you get if you touch an armadillo?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Leprosy<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_armadillo_carry_disease\"><\/span>Does armadillo carry disease?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some armadillos, placental mammals with leathery armor, are naturally infected with leprosy, also known as Hansen&#8217;s disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. <b>Armadillos are one of the only known animals to carry leprosy, an age-old disease that causes skin and nerve damage.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_pet_armadillos_carry_leprosy\"><\/span>Do pet armadillos carry leprosy?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Armadillos are one of the only known animals to carry leprosy. How can you prevent or avoid Leprosy? CNN reports that, Experts are urging Floridians to use caution and not touch the small, cat-sized creatures.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_can_possums_carry_if_they_bite_you\"><\/span>What can possums carry if they bite you?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Armadillos are known to carry leprosy  in fact, they are the only wild animals other than humans upon which the picky M. leprae can stand to live  and scientists suspected that these anomalous cases were due to contact with the little armored tootsie rolls.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_did_leprosy_start\"><\/span>How did leprosy start?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The disease seems to have <b>originated in Eastern Africa or the Near East and spread with successive human migrations. Europeans or North Africans introduced leprosy into West Africa and the Americas within the past 500 years.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_did_lepers_get_leprosy\"><\/span>How did lepers get leprosy?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>LeprosyCausesMycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosisRisk factorsClose contact with a case of leprosy, living in povertyTreatmentMultidrug therapyMedicationRifampicin, dapsone, clofazimine7 more rows<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_animal_did_leprosy_come_from\"><\/span>What animal did leprosy come from?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>armadillos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents What animals carry leprosy?Do possums transmit diseases to humans?What kind of diseases do possums carry?What animals spread leprosy?Can you get leprosy by touching an armadillo?Do possums carry leprosy?How did humans get leprosy?Can a human get sick from a possum?Are possums harmful?Can possum poop make you sick?Can possums give diseases to humans?Can you&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[622],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-188617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-care"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188617"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188617"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188617\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}