01820nas a2200385   4500000000100000008004100001260001400042653001000056653001100066653001200077653001500089653002300104653002700127653001100154653001700165653001100182653001000193653001200203653000900215653001300224653001100237653002000248653002500268653001300293653002200306653001800328653001800346100002000364700001700384245005600401300001000457490000700467520094600474022001401420       2001                            d  c2001-200210aAdult10aAfrica10aAnimals10aArmadillos10aDisease Reservoirs10aEnvironmental Exposure10aFemale10aFossil Fuels10aHumans10aIndia10aleprosy10aMale10aMarriage10aMexico10aMonkey Diseases10aMycobacterium leprae10aPrimates10aSoil Microbiology10aSouth America10aUnited States1 aChakrabarty A N1 aDastidar S G00aIs soil an alternative source of leprosy infection?  a79-840 v123 a<p>Leprosy is believed to be transmitted only through human contacts. However, many anomalous observations had gradually accumulated which had weakened such beliefs. These are: only 1/3 rd cases of leprosy give a definite history of being transmitted from other known cases; life-long spouses, in whom only one has leprosy, seldom lead to leprosy to others; while MDT applied intensively in most leprosy endemic countries, could successfully reduce incidence of leprosy, however, simultaneously new cases arise unabated. Besides, a close look at animal leprosies also suggested a mode of transmission other than human-type contact. Thus, a search for alternative hypothesis led to the findings that leprosy bacillus (LB) could be a soil chemoautotroph and could facultatively live both in the human body and the soil which could serve as an alternative source of infection. Evaluation of accumulated evidences points to this possibility.</p>  a0001-5938