Christina Roach, 42, and Ann Solomon, 72, have started a Zoom-based Hansen’s disease peer group to help patients navigate stigma, isolation and difficult treatment.
81% of Florida’s leprosy cases are in Central Florida, and a 2023 CDC paper said the disease may be becoming endemic there; the region also accounts for one-fifth of U.S. cases.
Scientists believe nine-banded armadillos are a primary source in Florida, likely through contaminated soil, while person-to-person spread is relatively rare and usually requires prolonged untreated contact.
20 years can pass between exposure and illness, complicating diagnosis; untreated disease can cause blindness, nerve damage and disfigurement, though antibiotics can cure it.
95% of people will not contract leprosy even if exposed, but Roach and Solomon said patients still face delayed diagnoses, steroid side effects and fear from friends and family.