What causes leprosy?

Leprosy was recognized in the ancient civilizations of China, Egypt and India. The first known written mention of Leprosy is dated 600 BC. Throughout history, people affected with have often been ostracized by their communities and families.Leprosy, also named as  Hansen's disease HD, is caused by certain bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae bacillus. The disease takes its name from the Latin word Lepra, which means "scaly", while the term "Hansen's disease" is named after the physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen.  The bacterial attack the skin and nervous system, causing lumps and patches of dis-colouration on the skin of the individual.  Intially the infections are without any visible symptons and typically remain this ways for 5 years and as long as upto  20 years. Thereafter symptoms start developing on skin, on ears, fce, testes and the limps, inner surface of the mouth and nose. When the disease spreads to the eyes, it causes blindness. The diseases also affects, nerves, respiratory tract and this result in lack of ability to feel pain and thus loss of parts of extremities due to repeated injuries.Leprosy is mainly of two types – Lepromatous or Cutaneous and Tuberculoid. Lepromatous is marked by wide spread infiltration of grainy masses of inflamed tissue under the skin, face, testes and mucosal membranes of the upper respiratory tract. But the Tuberculoid is marked by stain like lesions with raised, reddist borders and patches that become insensitive to physical stimulous as they spread.  Amongst the main symptoms of the disease are thickening of he skin, loss of hair, deformities of bones and joints and loss of sensation in various areas of the body.Leprosy is curable with treatment. Treatment for paucibacillary leprosy is with the medications - dapsone and rifampicin.  Treatment for multibacillary leprosy consists of rifampicin, dapsone, and clofazimine.  A number of other antibiotics may also be used for its treatment.WHO figures says that official figures from 115 countries show the global registered prevalence of leprosy at 189018 at the end of 2012 and during the same year, 232 857 new cases were reported.