Florida Reports 17 Hansen's Disease Cases by July, Linked to Central Florida Armadillos
Updated
Updated · Florida Today · Jul 20
Florida Reports 17 Hansen's Disease Cases by July, Linked to Central Florida Armadillos
3 articles · Updated · Florida Today · Jul 20
Summary
Seventeen Hansen's disease cases were reported in Florida by July 11, already ahead of the pace a year earlier, with Central Florida again driving the increase.
Four counties along the Interstate 4 corridor — Brevard, Lake, St. Johns and Volusia — made up 52% of 2025 cases, and health officials and researchers point to the nine-banded armadillo as a likely source.
Thirty-six cases were reported statewide in 2025, up from 20 in 2024; Florida has averaged more than 21 cases a year since 2015 after averaging six annually from 1992 to 2014.
About 95% of people are not susceptible, and the disease is curable with antibiotics, but symptoms can take up to 20 years to appear and delayed diagnosis can cause permanent nerve damage.