Leprosy

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 …

…world by various travelers, including Roman Legionnaires, Crusaders, Spanish conquistadors, Asian seafarers, and Arab, African, and American slave traders. Some historians believe that Alexander the Great's troops brought leprosy from India to Europe during the 300s BC. In Western Europe, the prevalence of leprosy peaked between AD 1100 and 1300, then began to decline as living conditions improved. As recently as 1900 leprosy could be found in northern Europe. Today the disease is found primarily in tropical areas.