Leprosy Cases Spiked In Chennai's Migrant Workers: Causes And How It Spreads

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease which is caused by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. It is a highly contagious disease that targets the skin and peripheral nerves. A new analysis of leprosy surveillance data derived from Chennai has found that the infectious disease continued to spread in specific urban areas, particularly industrial hubs and border zones where large migrant communities live and work. The study examined 2021 to 2025 leprosy data, and further revealed that children in those areas are being diagnosed at a higher rate when compared to the rest of Tamil Nadu.

Children Are More Vulnerable To Leprosy In Tamil Nadu

Researchers under the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (Leprosy), analysed secondary data from the National Leprosy Eradication Program (NLEP) for 15 administrative zones that lie in Chennai. The findings that were published in the Tamil Nadu Journal of Public Health and Medical Research showed that over a span of five years, 515 new leprosy cases were detected. What is more concerning about the finding is the consistently high annual new case detection rate in children. According to the study most of these cases were found in industrial zones, adjoining residential clusters and border regions where migrant workers temporarily live in dense.

What Is Leprose?

Leprosy is a contagious disease that targets your skin, peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and eyes. Leprosy is also known as Hansen diseases, if it is left untreated the Mycobacterium Leprae can cause progressive and permanent disabilities.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the disease is believed to spread or be transmitted through droplets from an infected person's nose and mouth. The global health organisation suggests that the disease does not spread through casual contact like hugging, sharing meals, shaking hands or sitting next to each other, but it can be transmitted when a person comes in close contact with the causative agent.

Signs And Symptoms Of Leprosy

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the disease may take up to 20 years to show signs after the first contact with the bacteria that cause leprosy. Some of the most common signs and symptoms that is associated with leprosy include:

• Discoloured or reddish skin patches
• Rounded bumps under the skin
• Rough and thick skin
• Painless ulcers on the feet
• Painless swelling or lumps on the face or earlobes
• Loss of eyebrows or eyelashes

If leprosy is left untreated, the disease can worsen its symptoms to the extent of leaving a person cripple in the hands and feet. Some of the common medical issues that are linked to untreated leprosy include:

• Paralyzed, disabled hands and feet
• Shortened toes and fingers due to the body trying to reabsorb the tissue
• Chronic open sores on the bottoms of the feet that don't heal
• Blindness
• Loss of eyebrows
• Disfigured or damaged nose
• Tender or painful nerves
• Sensitive redness around the affected area
• Burning sensation in the skin

Leprosy is curable, WHO states that early detection and prompt treatment can help prevent disabilities.