Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. This disease is a type of granulomatous disease in the nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract. If untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. Unlike the myths that circulate in the community, leprosy does not cause the release of the body so easily, as in tzaraath disease.
Multibasiler leprosy, with the current severity, is the type often found. There are skin lesions that resemble leprosy tuberkuloid but more numerous and irregular; large part can disrupt the entire leg, and the edge of a nervous breakdown with weakness and loss of taste stimuli. This type is unstable and can become like lepromatous leprosy or leprosy tuberkuloid.
Lepormatosa leprosy lesions associated with, nodules, plaques symmetrical skin, thinning skin dermis, and the development of the nasal mucosa causing blockage of the nose (nasal congestion) and epistaksis (nose bleed), but the detection of nerve damage is often too late.
Leprosy tuberkuloid marked with one or more macular hipopigmentasi the skin and parts do not come (anesthetic).
Mycobacterium leprae is the cause of leprosy. An acid-resistant bacteria M. leprae is aerobic bacteria, gram positive, rod-shaped, and surrounded by candles cell membrane that is characteristic of Mycobacterium species. M. leprae can not be cultured in the laboratory.
High-risk groups affected by leprosy are living in endemic areas with poor conditions such as a bed that is not adequate, water is not clean, poor nutrition, and the inclusion of other diseases such as HIV that can suppress the immune system. Men have affected the level of leprosy two times higher than women.