Hansen's Disease—Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Complications

Dear Colleagues,

Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy, is a chronic infectious disease primarily affecting the skin and peripheral nerves. It is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae, a slow-growing mycobacteria first identified by Armeur Hansen in 1873.

In the past, leprosy was considered a highly contagious, devastating disease, but today, we know that it is easily treatable and not easily spread.

The treatment of leprosy consists of a combination of oral medications (MDT—multi-drug therapy) provided for 12 months. With this treatment, leprosy is curable and patients become non-infectious after a single oral dose. However, if left untreated or if treatment is delayed, nerve impairment can result in irreversible damage to the hands, feet and sight. This emphasizes the importance of early and accurate diagnosis in order to enable timely treatment.

In addition to the medical complications, stigma and psychological issues are still the most challenging complications faced by our patients. Failure to address these issues may further reduce appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

Despite a widespread distribution of treatment by the WHO, there are still more than 200,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide every year, and improving the early identification and treatment of Hansen's disease may further reduce this number.

Therefore, the purpose of this Special Issue is to raise awareness of Hansen's disease among healthcare professionals in order to limit the spread of the disease, as well as improve patients' quality of life.

Dr. Karen Olshtain-Pops
Guest Editor

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• hansen's disease
• leprosy
• Mycobacterium leprae