Leprosy seems like a disease relegated to the history books, yet sporadic cases continue to emerge in Europe, reminding us that the problem has by no means been eradicated. Two cases were recently confirmed in Romania, while in Croatia one was reported in a worker of Nepalese origin.
In Romania the disease struck two young Indonesian masseuses, aged 21 and 25, employed in a spa center in the city of Cluj. Two other people underwent precautionary tests. One of the patients had recently returned from Asia, where she had spent about a month with her mother, who was currently hospitalized with the same diagnosis.
The health authorities have ordered the temporary closure of the spa to allow epidemiological investigations. However, the Minister of Health Alexandru Rogobete reassured the population, explaining that the clients of the facility need not worry: leprosy is transmitted only after prolonged and close exposure. The last case recorded in the country dates back 44 years ago.
What is leprosy
Also known as Hansen’s diseaseleprosy is a bacterial infection caused by bacterium Mycobacterium leprae and characterized by a very long incubation period: symptoms can appear after six months, but also ten years after infection.
According to the World Health Organization, today the disease is endemic especially in some areas of Brazil, India, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh and neighboring countries. However, growing international mobility and migratory flows explain the appearance of isolated cases even in countries where it was thought to have disappeared.
Despite the fear that the name of the disease still arouses, the risk of contagion is low and does not require particular isolation measures. There are effective therapies and timely access to treatment allows you to avoid the most serious consequences.
How leprosy is transmitted, symptoms and treatment
Leprosy affects the skin, peripheral nerves, mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and, in some cases, the eyes.
It is transmitted through respiratory droplets from the nose and mouth of an infected individual who coughs or sneezes but, unlike other respiratory diseases, contacts such as handshakes or short hugs are not considered modes of transmission.
The main symptoms of leprosy are:
The infection is treated with multidrug therapy (MDT) recommended by the WHO, which includes specific antibiotics for a period that can vary from 6 months to over a year depending on the clinical form.
Globally, over 172 thousand official cases of leprosy were recorded in 2024. It remains a public health problem in several areas of the world, especially where access to health services is limited and social stigma hinders diagnosis and treatment.
In Italy the situation is under control, there is no alarmism: around ten new cases are diagnosed every year, almost always linked to infections contracted abroad. Contained numbers, which confirm that leprosy is not an emergency, nor a disease of the past. With correct information, access to care and attention to global health, it is possible to face it without fear and above all without stigmatization.
