infections
Leprosy
Transmission of leprosy
Leprosy may be passed from person to person through droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person and breathed in or touched by an uninfected person. But even after contact with the bacteria, most people do not develop leprosy. About half of the people with leprosy probably contracted it through close, long-term contact with an infected person. Casual contact and short-term contact do not seem to spread the disease. Leprosy cannot be contracted by simply touching someone with the infection, as is commonly believed. Health care workers often work for many years with people who have leprosy without developing the infection. Leprosy is not easily spread. Armadillos are the only confirmed source other than people, although other animal and environmental sources may exist. 