Cases of leprosy — an infectious disease that’s been around since ancient times — have increased dramatically in Florida, and health experts fear the infectious disease is now endemic to the Sunshine State.

Central Florida accounts for nearly one-fifth of all cases in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and for 81% of the cases reported in Florida.

Also known as Hansen’s disease, leprosy is usually spread during lengthy person-to-person contact through airborne droplets from the nose and mouth of an infected person.

Historically, leprosy has been uncommon in the US, and most cases have come from people who immigrated from countries where the disease is more common.

But since 2000, cases of leprosy have gradually increased, and have more than doubled over the past decade.

And the CDC reveals that about 34% of the cases reported from 2015 and 2020 were locally acquired, as opposed to travel-related cases.

Leprosy is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It affects a person’s skin, eyes, mucous membranes and nerves, causing disfiguring sores and nerve damage.

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