Leprosy could be endemic in Central Florida, CDC says. What to know about the disease.

Leprosy — also known as Hansen's disease — is becoming endemic in the southeastern United States, rising evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.

A recently published research letter from the CDC says Central Florida accounted for 81% of cases reported in Florida and almost one-fifth of cases reported across the U.S. According to the National Hansen's Disease Program, 159 new cases were reported in the U.S. in 2020.

"Leprosy has been historically uncommon in the United States; incidence peaked around 1983, and a drastic reduction in the annual number of documented cases occurred from the 1980s through 2000," the letter's authors wrote. "However, since then, reports demonstrate a gradual increase in the incidence of leprosy in the United States. The number of reported cases has more than doubled in the southeastern states over the last decade."

This isn't the first time we've seen Florida make headlines for leprosy cases. In 2015, experts blamed armadillos, which are common in the state and can carry the diseasae, for spreading infections.

Here's what to know about the disease amid new numbers:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/leprosy-endemic-central-florida-cdc-what-to-know-disease/