A strategy to halt leprosy transmission.

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. The organism multiplies very slowly and the incubation period is more than 2 years. Symptoms, including lesions of the skin, peripheral nerves, limbs, and eyes, can cause severe disability and take up to 20 years or more to develop after onset of infection. The mode of transmission of M leprae remains uncertain but is widely believed to occur from person to person via respiratory droplets. Close contacts of patients are at the highest risk of infection. The disease, however, is curable and early treatment can prevent disability. Standard treatment is multidrug therapy, consisting of the combined administration of three antibiotics (rifampicin, clofazimine, and dapsone), or two (rifampicin and dapsone), depending on the bacillary load.